so-soIt's frustrating, because this book has such potential for greatness and so many strong insights about a whole slew of important themes, but it focuses mainly on a toxic love affair. And I am so tired of books about barely adult women in unhealthy relationships with older men.
#WomensPrize #WomensPrize25
so-soShortlisted for the #WomensPrize but unfortunately I didn‘t fully connect with this one. De-radicilazation, but make it rom-com? Our MC is smart and punchy, making friends at the UN rehab program for ISIS brides. And she takes this job to distract from heartbreak. I know the author has experience with this work so it reads true but I didn‘t love the office politics vibes. Did appreciate the “I‘m coming to save you, oh wait you don‘t want saved?!”
pickThe #WomensPrize always picks one weird one that nobody likes. This year it's Crooked Seeds, and I actually did like it. In a future New South Africa water is rationed and the government is reclaiming private property. Compensation is not forthcoming because the economy has gone to shit. Deirdre is a middle aged alcoholic with a massive chip on her shoulder, and bases her whole identity around being an amputee. Something is found buried in the ⤵️
so-soI admire the writing and the skill of this novel. I see why it has made the short list for #womensprize, but it was not a novel for me.
How did BOTH of these books make it to the #WomensPrize shortlist? Wasn't one (more than) enough?
They both feature serious broader issues that affect women, but take a tone that is supposed to be funny and have protagonists that nobody can identify with.
They're both about privileged women who implode their lives because rich people have trauma too. That's 1/3 of the #shortlist (maybe more 😵, I haven't read them all yet).
Why?
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I forgot to post my list, but here are my #ReadYourKindle books. I'm quite eager to read them all, but will I actually do it? Probably not, since my kindle also contains 3 books from this year's #WomensPrize for fiction, 1 from the #InternationalBooker and the #CosmereBuddyRead books 🤷🏻♀️ I know it all counts, but damn I really want to read these four as well.
@CBee
pickOne of the most distinctive character voices I have come across. Tibb Ingleby carries this novel on her tiny, pale shoulders. There are some pacing issues, and the plot goes a bit wild. I was in distress for most of the last third 😂 I think this should have been shortlisted, for Tibb, for making the Tudor era come alive, for addressing topics that I shall not reveal here. While not perfect, this is a really strong debut!
#WomensPrize
so-soMisleading. At the end one of the women is still unaware that the collision has taken place. So many words saying so little in this book. I didn't connect with the characters at all, as they didn't seem real or realistic. This must be on the #WomensPrize longlist for its #MeToo topic and not for its prose, plot, or characters. The last 3rd had character development and nuance around consent, perception, and self that saved it from the pan.
pickI've yet to meet a time travel storyline that doesn't become tedious at some point, and this one is no exception. However, it's less tedious than most, and I really like the premise and the tie-in to actual historical figures. The steamy bits are nicely written but maybe a little more detailed than necessary for what the book is meant to be, but I really like the characters and was disappointed to say goodbye at the end. #tob25 longlist
