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#BookerLonglist
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ImperfectCJ
Universality: A Novel | Natasha Brown
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Mehso-so

This is a quick read, and I enjoyed spending time with the characters, but it feels a little insubstantial and a little too on the nose to really feel like satire. The layers of meaning and posturing and hypocrisy and lack of self-awareness are interesting, I just wanted a little more substance (and maybe a little more connection between elements). #bookerlonglist

review
Chelsea.Poole
Flashlight | Susan Choi
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Pickpick

#BookerLonglist delayed review. I was surprised at how quickly this read for such a long book. I was also a bit surprised at the straightforward nature of the story—no gimmicks, nothing to distract from the story of this torn-apart family. Identity…what does it mean to be a person living in another country from which you were born? How does one live with an illness? Are we merely living in relation to who we are to other people?

Ruthiella I‘m glad to hear this worked for you! It‘s on my list. 16h
BarbaraBB You make me think I do need to read this. 13h
Chelsea.Poole @Ruthiella @BarbaraBB I‘m not overly enthusiastic about this but it was surely more than a “so-so”. I‘m going to say it‘s a light pick 😊 11h
Lesliereadsalot This one didn‘t do anything for me right out of the gate, so I gave up without giving it much of a chance. After your review I don‘t think I‘ll try it again. Thanks for your review and comments! Just this second saw it made the Booker short list. (edited) 9h
72 likes2 stack adds4 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
Flesh: A Novel | David Szalay
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Pickpick

István isn't unlike George from The Book of George in the way that he relies on women to shape his life for him, although István is much less whiny than George despite experiencing more actual hardships. He's not a bad guy, he just seems to float along, avoiding any real introspection or connection, sublimating his emotions into sexual expression. The novel is kind of depressing. It will be interesting to see if I remember it in 6 months.

ImperfectCJ It's interesting to note that Daniel Weyman narrates on two #bookerlonglist titles, this one solo and with several other narrators on Universality (my next-up on audio). 1d
50 likes1 comment
review
Jas16
Flesh: A Novel | David Szalay
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Pickpick

After being seduced by an older woman as a teen and their relationship‘s traumatic end, Istvan drifts through life, remaining monosyllabic and unaffected. His emotions don‘t drive him but his physicality seems to. He is passive and largely unknowable and yet I still ended up caring about what happened to him. I kept seeing the wounded kid in his inability to let himself feel. Surprised that this ended up a pick for me. #bookerlonglist

Lesliereadsalot I‘m surprised too! 2d
squirrelbrain I expected to dislike it but it ended upon my shortlist. 2d
47 likes2 comments
review
BarbaraBB
Endling | Maria Reva
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Mehso-so

#BookerLonglist #6

A highly original novel about 3 Ukrainian women on a road trip with some men they keep captive while Russia invades their country. Also, they are looking for a special kind of snail. I loved the fist half and the part which is an interlude by the author herself. Then however I lost interest a bit. So many super interesting story lines and yet I felt like nothing much happened. A so-so for me.

#ReadTheWorld2025 #28 #Albania

squirrelbrain Yes, I felt like this could have done with some tightening up in the second half. 4d
Graywacke Totally opposite for me. ☺️ Didn‘t like the 1st 100 pages. After the meta, the story could have done anything and I would have loved it. How many more, B? (edited) 4d
BarbaraBB @Graywacke That‘s a wonderful experience! I don‘t have any other nominated books at hand right now. I‘ll wait for the shortlist and continue afterwards. I have read the six books that most appealed to me. 4d
See All 6 Comments
Graywacke @BarbaraBB good plan! 4d
Suet624 Rats! I really liked this one. 6h
BarbaraBB @Suet624 I know. I was surprised I didn‘t like it as much as you did 2h
70 likes6 comments
review
Jas16
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Pickpick

Thomas‘s life is made up of unending labor with every day almost exactly like the last and no real hope for something more. When a Hollywood producer comes on the scene there is suddenly a chance that maybe life could be different. This is the quietest of the #bookerlonglist titles I have read but the writing is so detailed and evocative that what is at heart a simple story becomes so much more. This would make my shortlist with ease.

Lesliereadsalot Looking forward to this one. Thanks for your review! 🩷 6d
squirrelbrain I loved that it was so quiet and simple. 6d
49 likes2 comments
review
Chelsea.Poole
Endling | Maria Reva
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Pickpick

#BookerLonglist —perhaps my most ‘looking forward to‘ of the list. Endling didn‘t disappoint and did stretch my brain in ways, blending auto-fiction with several other themes and formats. But you know what? I was anticipating more snails. I just need more snails. But still, a great read. This would be a good one to dissect. But no snail dissection, please.

monalyisha “I just need more snails” = my nomination for best review quote of the year! 😅🐌 1w
Graywacke @monalyisha 😆 i‘ll vote for it. @Chelsea.Poole - so glad you enjoyed. Sorry Lefty spent so much time in snail hyper-sleep or whatever that was. 1w
BarbaraBB I am about to start this one and your review and the comments make me very curious! 1w
80 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
Hanna-B
Flesh: A Novel | David Szalay
Pickpick

Woah, what a book. I know this one is going to stay with me. It‘s got a lot to say about masculinity and the negative impacts of this on men, the lack of tenderness. I highly recommend reading it, I‘m going to read it again. I devoured this in 2 sittings. Has anyone else read this? What were your thoughts?

#davidszalay #bookerlonglist

Ruthiella I‘ve not read it yet but I think from what I have heard I will also like it. 2w
Hanna-B Keen to hear what you think. 2w
10 likes2 comments
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BarbaraBB
Misinterpretation | Ledia Xhoga
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Pickpick

#BookerLonglist #5

Very elegantly written, I became engaged in the book immediately I enjoyed following the narrator‘s struggle to live in NYC while she‘s still strongly rooted in the Albania she left behind. Het empathy for other refugees jeopardizes her mental wellbeing as well as her closest relationships. She moves between this empathy and self-preservation and there seems no closure. An impressive read.

#ReadTheWorld2025 #27 #Albania

sarahbarnes Ah I see you liked it! 3w
BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes Yes! I did! And I think you will too but reviews are very mixed so I am not sure. And if you have a lot other unread books to read, I wouldn‘t put this one on top! 3w
GatheringBooks Love it! Albania! Nice. 🥰 3w
See All 8 Comments
squirrelbrain Glad you liked it! 3w
Graywacke I liked this one a great too. Nice to see this! 3w
LeeRHarry Good to hear you liked it. This is one of two on the longlist I have on my shelves. I think what initially drew me to this one was the theme of immigration and that sense of where do you call home. 2w
kspenmoll Great review! 2w
youneverarrived Great review. I‘m looking forward to reading it. 1w
87 likes2 stack adds8 comments
review
TheKidUpstairs
Flashlight | Susan Choi
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Pickpick

Catching up on reviews! #BookerLonglist edition

While this one has some pacing issues, I'm glad I stuck with it to discover its many, murky layers. A story of family disconnection and buried trauma, I appreciated the thematic ideas of a flashlight's focused beam obscuring more than it illuminates, and how difficult it can be to see the full picture of those closest to us.

Cont'd in comments...

TheKidUpstairs Despite the aforementioned pacing issues, the themes, scope, depth, and ambition of this novel would earn it a spot on my Shortlist. It's unlikely to make my best of the year, but I deeply appreciate what Choi had accomplished here. 3w
squirrelbrain Yes, my thoughts entirely. None of the Booker books will make my best of the year, but this is on my shortlist too. 3w
57 likes2 comments