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#Longlist
review
charl08
Nightbloom | Peace Adzo Medie
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Pickpick

Coming of age story of two Ghanaian girls, one academic high flyer who leaves for the US, and the cousin she leaves behind.

Until half way through, I felt like I'd been here before. And then the second narrator stepped in. I knew I was hooked as I wasn't having to watch the % at the bottom of the page...

#WomensPrize2024 #Longlist #Ghana

squirrelbrain @Leniverse said something similar about the two halves - I‘ll bear that in mind when I start. 6d
Leniverse @squirrelbrain Definitely! The first narrative is about 40% of the book, and it's fine, but it would have felt a bit meh if the whole book was like that. Fortunately the remaining 60% are 👌 6d
BarbaraBB Good to know and remember indeed. 6d
59 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
Leniverse
Nightbloom | Peace Adzo Medie
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Pickpick

There are (at least) two sides to every story.
The first narrative in this book was entertaining but felt a bit lightweight. The second narrative elevated the story to a critique of sexism and women's standing in the family and in society in Ghana. This book reads super fast, but be aware that Bad Things happen. However, every female character in this book is a powerhouse (for good and for bad).

#WomensPrize2024 #WomensPrize #longlist

squirrelbrain Great review! I have this as a library book and on audio - I‘ll start it soonish I think. 7d
Leniverse @squirrelbrain Audio would be cool! There are words in Ewe and some names that it would be good to hear spoken. 7d
squirrelbrain Oh, good to know! I‘m listening to A Flat Place now, from the NF list, but it‘s quite short and I have a fair bit of driving coming up this week. 7d
See All 8 Comments
Ruthiella I really liked her debut and have this on hold at the library. 7d
Leniverse @Ruthiella I haven't read her first novel. Think I probably will once I get this longlist behind me 😅 7d
Reggie Great review! 6d
Kristy_K Just stacked. Great review! 6d
charl08 Brilliant review- totally agree! 6d
41 likes2 stack adds8 comments
review
Leniverse
Brotherless Night: A Novel | V. V. Ganeshananthan
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Pickpick

The first unequivocal pick for me from the #WomensPrize2024 #longlist
Read it and weep.
About the Sri Lankan civil war, but with a focus on family and moral dilemmas. The opening draws you in immediately, but then there is a long, slow build-up. It's worth it. The second half I could barely put the book down.
My favourite so far (but plenty to go).
#WomensPrize

BarbaraBB Great review! Looking forward to it 1w
squirrelbrain My favourite so far too. 1w
charl08 Just picked this up - looking forward to ir. 1w
45 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
charl08
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Pickpick

Dual narrative centred on a Chinese man and the daughter of an American single mum living (struggling) in Shanghai. A coming of age story, but for parents too. The jumps over decades so you get a sense of the rapid change families lived through.

Do I want it to be shortlisted? I didn't "love" it, but think it would be a worthy "shortlistee" (I just made that word up, I think!).

#WomensPrize24 #Longlist

charl08 Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Image via Wikipedka 2w
squirrelbrain Good to know! I‘ll get to this one soon, I think. 2w
charl08 @squirrelbrain impressive first novel, definitely. 2w
54 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
Leniverse
Restless Dolly Maunder | Kate Grenville
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Mehso-so

Fictionalised account of the life of the author's grandmother. Dolly is an unyielding and not very likeable character, but she was a product of her time and circumstances. Made me very happy I wasn't born a century earlier and in rural Australia. A quick read. Plain story and plain prose, but interesting. Lacked that 'little extra' for me, even though it says something universal about being a woman.

#womensprize #longlist #womensprize2024

charl08 I'm hoping to get to this one soon: Library request allowing! 2w
Leniverse @charl08 Hopefully it won't take too long! My library has been pretty good, although it doesn't have all of them and only one copy of the Nolan book 😒 My hold is number 8. Might have to cave and just buy that one. 2w
41 likes2 comments
review
Leniverse
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Pickpick

Generational trauma, daddy issues, unsafe kink exploration and abuse, poetry, birds, flowers, mother-daughter POVs, gorgeous prose, slow, not the most accessible read. Soft pick.

#womensprize #longlist #womensprize2024

squirrelbrain Hmmm, I was going to take this one on holiday but it doesn‘t sound that interesting. I may read it next and save some others for our trip away. 3w
Leniverse @squirrelbrain It's not a holiday read. It requires a lot of attention. I did like it. I think. It's the kind of book I need to look back on after a month and check if it has grown or shrunk in my mind. 3w
Hooked_on_books I usually prefer the UK covers to the US ones, but not for this one. I think that cover is dreadful! 3w
Leniverse @Hooked_on_books Haha, yes, but I think it fits the book better than the one that's just a room with a view and a table or whatever (I don't actually recall the details of that cover, it's so dull). But I like the cover that has just a bird (presumably a wren). 3w
Hooked_on_books Yes, it‘s the green cover with just the bird on it that I‘ve seen here. Simple but very pretty colors. I‘ve seen the room/table one and I think it‘s a nice image but frustrating that it doesn‘t really fit the book. 3w
57 likes5 comments
blurb
Cupcake12
Untitled | Untitled
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Second day of January and I‘ve already brought 4 books for my kindle 😄
#tbr #longlist #kindlebooks

review
Leniverse
Western Lane: A Novel | Chetna Maroo
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Pickpick

Three sisters mourn their mother and try to accommodate their father's grief while also defying the expectation that he can't raise them on his own. The youngest plays squash compulsively and watches old Jahangir Khan matches with her father. Nothing much happens. This is all vibe, and only the sketch of a plot, but I found it surprisingly captivating. Even the squash trivia.
#booker
#womensprize #longlist #womensprize2024

41 likes1 stack add
review
Gissy
Memphis | Tara M Stringfellow
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Pickpick

I know this one has mixed reviews but I liked it, it was interesting to see this family dynamic through different generations, the romance between Hazel and Myron and how Memphis was described. However, I felt past and present were not well integrated, sometimes I felt confused where I was. I can understand that Miriam wanted to change, break the domestic violence cycle but going back to that house was a way to victimized her daughter⬇️

Gissy It was risky and it had an emotional impact in that person. Also, not accepting child support is not a matter of pride that you can raise your children alone, it is a duty every parent must accomplish to offer security to their children, it is a matter of a legal responsibility. A good ending but too risky by taking these decisions. I like that the author took her time to be grateful to the persons she felt were significant in her life.⬇️ 11mo
Gissy There are some controversies with this author about how she reacted to persons who didn‘t like or criticized her novel. So sad if that is true. She should grow through this process. I think it was expected that this novel was not in the short list (maybe the author will not like this comment either😳🤷🏽‍♀️) but I”m glad I read it because there were things I liked. 3.8⭐️
#BookSpinBingo (#25 free) @TheAromaOfBooks
#ISpyBingo April something pink⬇️
11mo
Amiable Great review! 11mo
See All 6 Comments
Gissy @TheAromaOfBooks @Clwojick

#Orilium Magical Readathon YouTuber @BookRoast career-healer class-Elemental Stdies prompt-Botanic controls=flowers on the cover

First book during #AwesomeApril @Andrew65

#Women‘s Prize #LongList
11mo
Gissy @Amiable Thank you🤗❤️ 11mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 11mo
42 likes6 comments
review
Leniverse
Trespasses | Louise Kennedy
Pickpick

For the first 2/3s of the book the main and most interesting character is Northern Ireland itself. It's bleak and compelling. So I didn't mind that the plot wasn't all that. Then the final third is a rush of grief (but you already knew it wouldn't end well) and rage. There are a few characters there that I would like to bitch-slap in righteous anger, to put it mildly. I have a feeling this one will stay with me.

#WomensPrize 2023 #longlist

38 likes1 stack add