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Selection Day
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
Manjunath Kumar, fourteen, knows he is good at cricket - if not as good as his elder brother Radha. He knows that he fears and resents his domineering and cricket-obsessed father, admires his brilliantly talented sibling and is fascinated by the world of CSI and by curious and interesting scientific facts. But there are many things about himself and about the world that he doesn't know. When Manju begins to get to know Radha's great rival, a boy as privileged and confident as Manju is not, everything in Manju's world begins to change and he is faced with decisions that will change both his sense of self and of the world around him.
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Jari-chan
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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Mehso-so

Usually, I like the books by Aravind Adiga, but this obe couldn't fully convince me. Maybe, because I have absolutely no clue about cricket... 😅

After a slow start it gets a little more interesting when Javed appears. But I still didn't get into the story... 🤷‍♀️

There were a lot of important topics about modern day India, though. Those parts were still worth reading.

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Tashreads
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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#currentlyreading I think this is coming out on Netflix soon

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TracyReadsBooks
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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Mehso-so

I really wanted to like this one more than I did. It‘s another book with strong writing (I‘ll definitely read more by this author) but rather unsatisfying plot & characters. Domineering father of two brothers who are being raised, particularly the older, to be two of India‘s next great cricket players. Things are complicated—poverty, exploitation, friendship, sexuality, & survival are some prominent themes. A good but not great read for me.

BookishMarginalia I wanted to like it. I didn‘t. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 6y
14 likes1 comment
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Cortg
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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Thank you for offering this fun #shelfspacegiveaway @Cinfhen
I think I‘m going to play square #2 because I don‘t know much about any of those books! ❤️
Good luck to all the Littens who are entering!

Cinfhen Nice choice! I really liked 2/3 books!!! I did bail on 6y
Cortg @Cinfhen 👍🏼 6y
26 likes2 comments
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msford88
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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Pickpick

It took me a bit to get into this book, but once I did... I was hooked.

On the surface, this book is about Selection Day - perhaps the most important day in the life of a hopeful, young cricket player. But underneath, it's a book about choices. Both those we make for ourselves and those that are made for us. And the outcomes of these choices often differ from what we've ever imagined.

105 likes2 stack adds
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Lindy
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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Bailedbailed

I enjoyed White Tiger and Between the Assassinations, so I was looking forward to this. The #audiobook narrator Sartaj Garewal is fine; between the incessant talk of cricket, and two brothers being abused by their father, this story is not for me right now and I'm bailing after 45 minutes.

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BooksCatsMaine
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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What a quote:

Guided by their father, who warns them of "three principal dangers on their path to glory-premature shaving, pornography, and car driving"

???

22 likes1 stack add
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Mamashep
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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I finally get to start a new book! Loved White Tiger so I'm really looking forward to this.

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Kelly
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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Can't get in all my hours for #24in48, but something is better than nothing. Onto this book with my snuggle buddy.

28 likes1 stack add
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gracemom
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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What?!?!?! This exists? Whahooooo!

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BookishFeminist
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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Panpan

Nah. Hard pass. It sounds good on its face: it's the story of a young man going up against his family who longs to play cricket and be comfortable with his homosexuality, but it has some major problems. Homophobia, sexism, classism, and racism run rampant throughout the book and aren't addressed constructively, if at all. I don't think they're the personal views of the author, but it's far out of line in this book. It's also sloppily written. 👎🏼

Icefireski This was on the display table when in front of the door when I walked into Books a Million this evening 8y
Megabooks I've only read bad things about this. Pass! 8y
FairyHighRoad I just took it off my holds list at the library. Thanks for the heads up! 8y
See All 7 Comments
BookishMarginalia I didn't like this one either. 8y
BookishFeminist @BookishMarginalia So disappointing! I hate when problems go unaddressed in a book. Have you read any of his others? I'm curious about them but hesitant now. 8y
BookishMarginalia I have White Tiger but haven't read it yet... I'm hesitant too 🤷🏻‍♀️ 8y
MooseGurl @BookishFeminist @BookishMarginalia I read White Tiger years ago and remember enjoying it, although it's very different and weird. 8y
84 likes1 stack add7 comments
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BookishFeminist
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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No. Just no. This kind of joke is not acceptable. This book is full of rampant sexism, homophobia, classism, and racism that goes unchallenged. I'm past the 60% mark in the book so I am going to finish, but I can't accept this type of casual commentary.

Alfoster Yikes! No! So offensive!😱 8y
OffTheBeatenShelf.com What on earth?? 😵 8y
Betty You do NOT have to finish it. Look at it this way: would you let me insult you continually until I ran out of breath? Same thing as this book 8y
See All 18 Comments
OffTheBeatenShelf.com I just looked up the book and it's published by Simon & Schuster. I'm unsurprised. 😒 8y
BookishFeminist @Betty I'm only skimming so I can write to the publisher. Don't worry I'm not investing much time! I'm a big fan of DNF but if something is really making me angry i tend to finish and write people about it. 8y
BookishFeminist @OffTheBeatenShelf.com All major publishers publish this type of crap from time to time. It's a systemic problem with the whole industry, not just S&S. 8y
BookishFeminist @Alfoster Yep, not okay. This is a particularly offensive joke. The book isn't even that good. I have a feeling it got published because it's written by a Booker Prize winner. 8y
OffTheBeatenShelf.com @BookishFeminist I know, it's just especially bad that this is a new release and it's crap too. Especially following so closely on the heals of that shit book deal. I'm losing faith in the Big 5 day by day. My reading resolution this year is to make over half my reading by small presses. I might eventually transition to 80% or 90% indie. 8y
BookishFeminist @OffTheBeatenShelf.com Best advise I've received is to support the really good work big publishers do and don't support books like this since this is where the $$ is. Silver lining: I grabbed this off Netgalley and discovered this book received very little marketing, so they likely know it wasn't great and only published it bc it was a big name. If it doesn't do well and they receive negative feedback, they will likely step back on it. 8y
WOCreads Eww what even is this? Glad I gave this one a miss. 8y
BookishFeminist @WOCreads It's gross! 😖 I'm glad you did too. If it weren't on my Kindle I'd have thrown it across the room. 8y
B.Reader Glad you are pointing it out. Things like that are automatic DNFs for me. I put down this one too because of a gross casual dropping of offensive terms...not as a character's thoughts or words but in narration. #bookfails 8y
BookishFeminist @B.Reader Yea, usually they are for me too unless it's a really popular book that needs calling out or something new that might get a lot of sales if left unchallenged. Backlist stuff? Nah. 👎🏼 I don't even bother bc it only helps sales at that point to hate read. Thanks for letting me know about that book. Removing from my tbr. 🚀 8y
WOCreads Would probably be more satisfying that just deleting! 😁 Need to put the author on my shit list, le sigh. 8y
Kimzey @OffTheBeatenShelf.com An indie press book challenge would be a great idea! 🤓 8y
SharonGoforth I had it checked out from the library, but after seeing similar comments here, I took it back unread. Your comments make me glad I did. 8y
Notafraidofwords Thanks for posting this. 8y
untrlvdwrlds Taking this off my hold list at the library.. :( 8y
83 likes18 comments
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BookishMarginalia
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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Mehso-so

Protagonist Manju struggles with familial & societal expectations regarding a possible cricket career (a way out of the slum) and heterosexuality. He longs to go to college but he also longs to play cricket. He smashes against his abusive father's expectations, his rebellious older brother, and his-love hate relationship with a privileged young man he desires. Homophobia runs through the book and remains unaddressed; the characters don't grow. Meh

SharonGoforth Uh oh, glad I got it from the library... 8y
llwheeler It sounded so good right up til the unaddressed homophobia... 8y
[DELETED] 57804897 ^^what she said. 8y
Sharanya Too bad, I've heard great things about his other book... 8y
143 likes5 comments
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SharonGoforth
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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Library haul! I'm really trying not to buy any more books for awhile, but I have no problem with library books! 📚 I loved Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger, so I have high hopes for his new novel. I'm hopeful that I can work these into my challenge reading somehow 😬

60 likes1 stack add6 comments
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BookishFeminist
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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Relaxing after family Christmas part 2. Getting a head start on some new releases for next week. 🎄🎁

Marchpane Keen to find out what you think of this one. I've seen mixed reviews. 8y
BookishFeminist @Marchpane I'm going into it blind so we'll see how it shakes out! Not bad so far 😊 (edited) 8y
113 likes2 comments
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MariaCristina
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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Toddler's in bed, spouse is at rehearsal, and I'm about to dig in to a book and some GF cookie dough. It's okay, the container gave me permission.

15 likes1 stack add
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Candidceillie
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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Bailedbailed

I really hated this book. I hoped to like it, but there's so much homophobia and abuse in this book that I can't recommend it at all.

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Well-ReadNeck
Selection Day | Aravind Adiga
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Mehso-so

Two brothers try to escape their slum in Mumbai by becoming professional Cricket players. A biting look as social class. Might have been able to get more out of this if I knew more about the game. #HelloOctober #readathon

ApoptyGina69 I really liked The White Tiger. All I know about cricket is what I learned from watching (currently reading) The Jewel in the Crown. 8y
whatthelog Damn, I was hoping there wouldn't be TOO much cricket in this! Probably still going to pick it up tho, loved the white tiger 8y
87 likes4 stack adds2 comments