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squirrelbrain

squirrelbrain

Joined June 2017

Speed-reader who's trying to slow down...
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squirrelbrain
Women's Prize For Fiction | Women\'s Prize For Fiction
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Here we go…! My #wpf25 list in order. I‘ve *nearly* finished all the books - see comments below. ⬇️

Overall it‘s a distinctly average list this year, IMO. The Safekeep made my favourites list of 2024 - only books 2 and 3 could possibly make the 2025 favourites.

On the flip side, I didn‘t absolutely hate any of them - damning with faint praise there! ☺️

The Artist came higher up the list as it was so unexpected - I read it before the ⬇️

squirrelbrain longlist announcement and it was a lovely surprise. Conversely I expected Nesting to be my fave but I think I over-hyped it in my mind. 1d
squirrelbrain I‘ve read around half of Dream Count (and educated myself around the author‘s inflammatory comments) and, whilst I‘m really liking it, I feel that less well-known authors should be on the list. I‘ve also listened to 50% of the Persians (I‘ll listen to another couple of hours tomorrow) and around 15% of Somewhere Else - both are ‘fine‘ but that‘s all. 1d
AnneCecilie I‘ve hardly read anyone. The Safekeep when it was on the Booker list last year, and The Ministry of Time. I find it interesting that one of my favorites, is also one of yours. Ministry has faded a little for me, and I see that‘s far down on your list. I‘ve just started Nesting. I didn‘t get all the fuzz around Americanah, so I‘m in no rush to read this. (edited) 1d
See All 12 Comments
ChaoticMissAdventures Our lists are going to be fairly similar. I agree, it was fine, but not a great list compared to other years. 1d
quietlycuriouskate I've only read Safekeep (from the Booker list) and Ministry of Time. I have several more reserved from the library but I was never intending to read the whole list, and am certainly not going to oblige myself to do so now. 1d
BarbaraBB Thanks for sharing this! I‘ll check out The Artist. I didn‘t like Nesting as much as you did. I am reading and enjoying Somewhere Else much more than I thought I would. Dream Count I have on audio but not started yet. (edited) 1d
charl08 Wow, impressive as ever. I've not got half as far as you but Ministry of Time was always going to be hard to beat for me. 18h
Gissy I am beginning with the list because I‘m still in the process of waiting for the books. I guess I will read them eventually🤷🏽‍♀️I liked Safekeep because of the twist and writing style but I think it was repetitive in those intimacy scenes🙄I also think that is a dysfunctional relationship. But you never know what the judges are looking for...I think I am looking for a story like Brotherless Night for next winner 😂I need to move on🤣 13h
squirrelbrain Interesting that you‘ve both read the same 2 books!☺️ @quietlycuriouskate @AnneCecilie 6h
squirrelbrain There‘s nothing to compare to Brotherless Night this year @Gissy 🤷‍♀️ That was my favourite last year too. 6h
squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB -I think you‘ll really like The Artist - @TrishB loved it too. 6h
squirrelbrain Thanks! @charl08 ☺️ Ministry of Time just didn‘t work for me though. 😬 6h
41 likes12 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Nesting | Roisn O'Donnell
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Pickpick

#wpf25 Book 13

This was one of those books that leaves you breathless - that you don‘t want to look away from, but you really want to run away from. I never look at the end of a book, but had to in this case, just to know.

It was rather similar to Manguso‘s Liars, both in subject matter and the way it made me feel, and there was a bit more heart in this one.

For me, certainly in the top half of the (slightly disappointing) longlist.

BarbaraBB You liked it much more than I did! Glad you did. I‘d prefer Liars to this one. (edited) 2d
julieclair Great review! 2d
Hooked_on_books Wow, 13 done! You‘re a champion! 2d
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sarahbarnes Just got this from the library. Great review. I‘m curious what I‘ll think of it. 2d
Caroline2 I‘ve just got this in from BorrowBox. Bit nervous as I‘m just done with tragedy porn and Evil men doing Evil deeds! 😒 (I‘ve just finished listening to John Boyne‘s Water….Brilliant but hard going) 2d
squirrelbrain Yeah, it is definitely of the ‘Evil Men‘ genre but give it a go -you‘ll soon know! 1d
Caroline2 I‘ve returned it to the library. 😂 I‘m bailing before I‘ve even started!! I need a break from bleak books for a while. 👍 14h
65 likes1 stack add7 comments
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squirrelbrain
Fundamentally: A Novel | Nussaibah Younis
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An article from today‘s Observer magazine, covering the Fundamentally author‘s background and her reasons for turning to stand-up comedy and comedic writing.

I found this rather interesting and, having just finished the book, it definitely added context.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/30/the-death-of-my-friend-insp...

BarbaraBB Thanks. That‘s very interesting 2d
52 likes1 comment
review
squirrelbrain
Fundamentally: A Novel | Nussaibah Younis
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Pickpick

I‘m torn on this one. At first I found it wickedly funny and irreverent, but later on the MC acted really immaturely which served to diminish and over-simplify a really serious subject. (De-radicalisation of Isis brides)

I also felt that Islam was portrayed in a really negative way, with only 1 Muslim character having any redeeming features.

Ultimately, this is a pick, saved by its ending and the audacity in tackling the subject in such a way.

Jas16 I even more curious about this one now. 4d
CarolynM Your review makes me think of Yellowface - I wonder how much influence the publisher/editor had on it turning out that way? 4d
BarbaraBB I get what you mean. I agree on the subject being simplified by a too ignorant narrator. On Islam I am not sure, I think that‘s the point she wants to make - it is her pov and I assume it‘s her experience but I am not sure of that. 4d
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LeahBergen I‘m still intrigued! 4d
squirrelbrain I agree @BarbaraBB - I do think the author was making her point about Islam, but it concerned me that it wasn‘t nuanced enough and it would reinforce the views of readers who already have a negative perspective. (edited) 3d
squirrelbrain Interesting thought @CarolynM ! 🤔 I feel that the author has so much experience IRL of the subjects covered that it was her views alone. It would be interesting to know if the publishers tried to tone anything down though. 3d
squirrelbrain @Jas16 @LeahBergen - it‘s certainly like nothing I‘ve ever read and would provoke great discussions- would have been a good one for #camplitsy, don‘t you think @barbarabb ?! 3d
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain Yes, it‘s a typical #CampLitsy book! Thinking about that longlist already 😇 3d
squirrelbrain So am I! @barbarabb 🤪 3d
63 likes9 comments
review
squirrelbrain
The Dream Hotel | Laila Lalami
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Pickpick

Book 9 #wpf25

This was a scarily prescient read, particularly in the current political climate. Sara is pulled aside on her way through LAX and ‘detained‘ in a facility (not imprisoned!) due to her dreams indicating she *might* commit a crime in the future.

I liked the interactions and the menace in that facility - where the inmates can‘t do anything right so their retentions get extended. I felt that more could have been made of ⬇️

squirrelbrain Eisley and her role in Sara‘s story - it felt like a bit of an add-on. I also thought the ending could have been a bit stronger after all the building-up. But still 4 ⭐️ and a strong contender for my shortlist. 1w
ChaoticMissAdventures It really creeped me out. I kept thinking of those brain implants Elon keeps trying to get people to have. No thank you. I am so paranoid right now I am taking a burner phone through TSA. 1w
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 and definitely full of scary stuff that‘s not a million years away. 1w
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Suet624 After reading a very depressing Women‘s Prize longlister I‘ve decided to return this book to the library. I can‘t read yet another book right now that will bring a potential reality into sharp focus. It will do me in. 1w
squirrelbrain @Suet624 - it‘s nothing like as depressing as Crooked Seeds but it‘s really very sinister and too close to home. 1w
AmyG Good review. Thanks! 1w
Jas16 Great review. Totally agree about Eisley‘s story. (edited) 1w
BarbaraBB Great review. I just started this too. 1w
charl08 I don't read a lot of dystopia but finding this book terrifying. 5d
squirrelbrain It‘s because it‘s so close to the truth, I think @charl08 😬 4d
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squirrelbrain
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Mehso-so

Book 8 #wpf25

I didn‘t expect to love this, after all the comments by Littens I respect, when it made the WP #longlist.

I actually didn‘t mind the first half but then it grew just a bit silly and repetitive, around the introduction of the ‘strange machine‘.

I found I didn‘t care for any of the characters and just wanted it to finish. #listcompletist 🙄

ChaoticMissAdventures I agree. I was shocked to see it in the list, having already read it and felt meh about it 1w
TrishB No reviews have made me want to read this! I‘m reassured by yours that I still don‘t want to read it. 1w
julesG @TrishB you're definitely not missing out. 1w
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BarbaraBB I decided to skip this one as well 1w
CarolynM Doesn‘t appeal to me, either. Thanks for confirming my lack of interest😆 1w
TheKidUpstairs I tried this one as an ARC a while ago and couldn't get into it. Reviews like yours make me even more confident in my decision! It's interesting to see it get so much award love, when most readers I've spoken to (or seen on here) are so lukewarm in their opinions. 5d
squirrelbrain Yes, it‘s odd @TheKidUpstairs - makes me wonder if the judges read it before including it. 😬 4d
78 likes7 comments
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squirrelbrain
A Little Trickerie | Rosanna Pike
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Catching up with reviews so apologies in advance! 🤪

Book 7 #wpf25

I loved this, having not expected to, not being a huge fan of ‘Tudor‘ HF. That‘s all down to the MC, Tibb, who is innocent but wise and has the pottiest mouth.

This deceptively simple story covers all sorts of areas - queer love, religion, prejudice, grief and found family.

Definitely on my shortlist!

Ruthiella This is the book from the long list along with The Safekeep that I‘m definitely going to seek out and read. 1w
ChaoticMissAdventures Reading this now! I have struggled a bit to get into it but still have high hopes. 1w
TrishB I like the look of this one 👍🏻 have dropped big Mother‘s Day hints. I was waiting for all your reviews 😁 1w
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squirrelbrain I think you‘ll like it @TrishB @ruthiella (edited) 1w
squirrelbrain I hope it starts to fall into place for you Shawna @ChaoticMissAdventures 1w
BarbaraBB Lots of love for this one. I‘ll read it if it makes the shortlist. I have so many longlisted books to read first 😅 1w
CarolynM Now this one does appeal. Stacked🙂 1w
squirrelbrain It‘s really rather unusual @CarolynM - in a good way! 1w
Leniverse I'm reading it now. I had a sinking feeling when I opened the book and saw 1500, but it's so much better than the Scottish one from last year. But maybe that one was 1600s? Don't really care for either century, normally! 4d
squirrelbrain Which was the Scottish one Leni? @leniverse The Maiden? If so, this is much more quirky - that one was rather plain in comparison. 4d
sarahbarnes I‘m intrigued by this one based on your review! 3d
squirrelbrain I think you‘d really like it @sarahbarnes 3d
Leniverse Yes, the Maiden. That one was so over-hyped. 3d
70 likes4 stack adds13 comments
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squirrelbrain
Women's Prize For Nonfiction | Women\'s Prize For Nonfiction
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Here‘s my #wpnf list, in some kind of order. I‘ve read them all, nearly! (1/3 of Wild Thing and 1/4 of Tracker).

I have a definite top 5, the top line, shown in order. Then, any of the second row could be book 6, again these are in approx order but I‘m still a bit torn between PR and Agent Zo.

Much as I loved Neneh‘s book, I don‘t think it should make the shortlist - it‘s a fairly ‘standard‘ memoir, not like Babylon last year. ⬇️

squirrelbrain Therefore I‘m going to sub in Ootlin as what I think *should* be on the list, because (a) it‘s another memoir and (b) I think it‘s a very important read. 1w
ChaoticMissAdventures Ohhh Babylon what a fantastic book that was. I have been surprised at the reactions to Cherry's book. Lots of people really loving it but then lots DNF'ing and not enjoying. 1w
57 likes2 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Crooked Seeds: A Novel | Karen Jennings
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Pickpick

This #wpf25 book is one of those where it‘s difficult to recommend to anyone - I listened to it with a ‘bad smell‘ look on my face throughout. The MC, a white South African amputee, is completely obnoxious and we learn all about her bodily functions as she liberally uses the f-word.

Having said that, I did appreciate this book and can see why it‘s on the list - it‘s challenging and I learnt something new about South African history.

LeeRHarry I‘m in the middle of this one atm and yes it‘s pretty raw but is holding my attention. 3w
squirrelbrain It certainly held my attention! @LeeRHarry 3w
Jas16 I so agree. I cannot imagine recommending this one to anyone. 2w
sarahbarnes Great review. 🙃 2w
63 likes4 comments
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squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

Book 11 from the #wpnf25 longlist.

All about what damage humankind is doing to the oceans, and thus to global ecological structures, this was alternately depressing and slightly hopeful.

This is one occasion where the author reading their own book really worked - you could hear her passion and enthusiasm shining through.

TrishB I‘ve seen her talk on campus! 3w
ChaoticMissAdventures I think this is going to be my next on the NF list. It has been sitting on my table for weeks now. 3w
youneverarrived Book 11 🤩 have you got any stand outs? 3w
squirrelbrain @youneverarrived - my favourites so far have been Story of a Heart (I know you don‘t want to read that) and Sister in Law, followed by Neneh Cherry. 3w
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squirrelbrain
Raising Hare: A Memoir | Chloe Dalton
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Pickpick

Book 10 of the #wpnf25 longlist.

In this heart-warming book the author finds an abandoned leveret at the start of COVID lockdown. I appreciated that she was unsure initially whether to even take it in or not and it never felt like she was ‘playing God‘ throughout the book.

I particularly liked how she was able to watch the hare at such close quarters that she turned accepted/assumed knowledge about hares upside down.

On my shortlist for sure!

TrishB Great review 👍🏻 3w
ChaoticMissAdventures I need to know before I pick it up.... does the hare die? The one she is raising? 3w
squirrelbrain @ChaoticMissAdventures - not the one she is raising, we never find out what happens to that one. There are other deaths though - some out in the fields (to be expected) but also another leveret. 3w
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ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain Thank you!! I think I can handle that. :) 3w
squirrelbrain It *is* sad @ChaoticMissAdventures but the author is philosophical about it and it feels like the circle of life more than anything too traumatic. 3w
charl08 I have ordered this one at the library, but despite loving H is for Hawk, not one I would normally pick up. 3w
squirrelbrain I haven‘t read H is for Hawk yet @charl08 so can‘t compare - it‘s been on my shelf for years! 😳 3w
youneverarrived Great review! Do you think it would be a good one for audio? (Nearly finished Ootlin and thinking of my next listen) 3w
squirrelbrain Yes, definitely @youneverarrived - I did audio and thought it worked really well. 3w
youneverarrived Good to know, thanks! 🩷 3w
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squirrelbrain
BIRDING. | ROSE. RUANE
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Pickpick

Book 5 of the #wpf25 longlist.

This is one I hadn‘t heard of and I was excited to read it from the blurb, but it didn‘t *quite* live up to my high expectations. The writing was very descriptive and expressive but sometimes a little TOO much. I loved one of the characters and her story arc - the other, not so much.

Another quibble below, that could be slightly spoilerish.

Still a great read, but not likely to make my shortlist. 🤷‍♀️

squirrelbrain Perhaps I should have read the blurb properly (these two women might never meet) but it felt like two separate narratives with barely anything to link the two parts of the story together. 3w
TrishB I nearly started this today but decided not to! 3w
sarahbarnes I am interested in this one! Glad to know to temper my expectations a bit. 3w
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squirrelbrain @sarahbarnes @TrishB - I think I was expecting a hidden gem as good as this (not only for the title, but the subject matter) and it wasn‘t quite. 3w
BarbaraBB I was excited for this one and have ordered it but it won‘t be out here until May so based on your review I might skip it. 3w
charl08 Interesting! Hoping to get hold of this soon. 3w
JillR This is next up for me. Hoping to make a real dent in the longlist this year after reading nothing last year! 3w
squirrelbrain I‘ll be interested to hear what you think! @JillR 3w
73 likes8 comments
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squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

I sobbed my way through this book this afternoon, but Henry looked after me. I loved Dear Life by this author and had read extracts of this one in the press, so I knew I‘d love it. The author has a way of making medical discussions accessible and turning the heart-rending into heart-warming (yes, deliberate choice of words for this book) whilst being sensitive to all parties.

I especially admire Keira‘s family, in particular her sisters. ❤️

ChaoticMissAdventures I fear this is too much for me at the present. I know it is incredibly good but I think I will skip it. Good in you for crying your way through! 1mo
Leftcoastzen 🐶👏 1mo
TrishB That sounds incredibly sad! 1mo
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BarbaraBB I haven‘t heard of this and Litsy has no blurb so I have no idea what it‘s about but I am super intrigued 1mo
squirrelbrain @barbarabb - it‘s from the WP for NF longlist and it‘s about 2 children and their families. One boy needs a new heart and the little girl dies in a car accident and her family donate her organs. 😭 1mo
BarbaraBB Oh no that sounds very sad! 1mo
youneverarrived Great review! I don‘t think I could read it 😢 1mo
sarahbarnes This sounds so heartbreaking indeed. I‘m glad that cute baby was there to comfort you. ♥️ 1mo
squirrelbrain No, Katie @youneverarrived - I don‘t think you should even try. 😭 1mo
Jas16 Even though your review warned I was still not prepared for the emotional toll of this one. 2w
squirrelbrain @Jas16 - such a good book though, one of my favourites from the list. 2w
70 likes1 stack add11 comments
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squirrelbrain
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Rather relevant, timely and apposite introduction to this book about Richard II and Henry IV (who were both born in 1367)!

ChaoticMissAdventures I am excited for this one, I don't know a ton about this time period. 1mo
Leftcoastzen Wow 1mo
Lcsmcat Wow indeed. 1mo
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LeahBergen Yikes! 1mo
Librarybelle Yup. Very, very relevant. 1mo
TrishB Power never changes. 1mo
bookandbedandtea How apropos 😫 1mo
CarolynM 😢 1mo
youneverarrived Wow. Very relevant 😩 1mo
sarahbarnes Oh wow. 1mo
54 likes1 stack add10 comments
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squirrelbrain
Untitled | Untitled
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This is what I‘ve got left to read for #wpnf25 - do you think I‘ll make it before the Fiction longlist on Tuesday?🤦‍♀️

Oh, plus Raising Hare on audio, due in 10 days. I purchased the top 3 after trying a sample first on digital. I‘m actually listening to Wild Sea on audio as it appeared on Everand in the last few days.

I‘ve read 7 and paused on Embers of the Hands for now as it just wasn‘t holding my attention. How is everyone else getting on?

ChaoticMissAdventures How do you like Everand? I used them before they changed to how many books you can listen to, I was going to sign up again for WP books but it looks like I can only get 3 a month? 1mo
LeahBergen Lock yourself in your house with food delivery 😆😆 1mo
TrishB I wouldn‘t bet against you 😉 1mo
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squirrelbrain I really like it @ChaoticMissAdventures - but they haven‘t changed the subscription here yet, like in the US. Im not sure what I‘ll do when it does get changed, whether I‘ll stick with it or not. It‘s really useful for books that are difficult to get hold of in the UK, particularly for ToB which is quite US-centric. 1mo
squirrelbrain I might have been able to manage it (kidding! 🤣) if I didn‘t have to work the weekend. @trishb @leahbergen 1mo
BarbaraBB I am panicking just by looking at that stack 😀. I feel the same though, have been getting wild about the International Booker longlist, ordered a lot of them, knowing that the WP fiction list is being announced as well. As if I haven‘t enough unread books already! 1mo
Jas16 You are amazing! I have read one and have a few on hold at the library but I know I will want to focus more on the Women‘s Prize. 1mo
ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain yes, I used it for things where I was 700th in line at the library. But here the subscription seems almost useless. $12 to rent one book or $16 to rent 3. And they say there are "free" books but I have not found a single one from my TBR to be free, not even classics. I hope you get to keep your subscription! 1mo
squirrelbrain That sounds utterly useless! 🤷‍♀️@ChaoticMissAdventures 1mo
squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB @jas16 - you see, I‘m definitely *not* reading the NF longlist this year. 🤦‍♀️ 1mo
Ruthiella @TrishB I wouldn‘t bet against @squirrelbrain either! 😂 1mo
LeeRHarry Wow that‘s amazing! Good luck! 1mo
Cathythoughts Go on Helen 👏🏻 1mo
squirrelbrain No pressure! @ruthiella 🤣 1mo
youneverarrived You‘re doing fab getting through them, seeing as you weren‘t going to read the long list 😆 I‘ve read 2, just started why fish don‘t exist, almost finished Neneh Cherry on audio and then I‘ll start Ootlin. Got Agent Zo to pick up from the library too. 1mo
squirrelbrain You‘re doing well too! @youneverarrived - I‘ve just started Fish this afternoon, reading it alongside The Eagle and the Hart. 1mo
59 likes16 comments
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squirrelbrain
Tilt | Emma Pattee
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Pickpick

I‘m not a huge fan of the ‘horror‘ genre, mostly because I don‘t find such books particularly horrifying. This book, however…. 😱

Annie is shopping in Ikea, at 37 weeks‘ pregnant, when the ‘big‘ earthquake hits. The story follows her over the course of a day as she tries to make her way home on foot.

It‘s truly terrifying as it could really happen and shows us how people could behave in such a situation. A couple of things I didn‘t like ⬇️

squirrelbrain It‘s blurbed as ‘funny‘ amongst other things - it really wasn‘t. Not satirical, not black humour, nothing. I also disliked the ending… no spoilers. But otherwise an incredibly propulsive read - I wanted to look away but couldn‘t. 1mo
ChaoticMissAdventures I really want to get to this one!! I live here, and we have all my life been warned about "The Big One" (earthquake) so this feels particularly personal! 1mo
squirrelbrain I think I‘d be too scared to read it if I lived there! @chaoticmissadventures 1mo
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ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain I spent decades hearing about The Big One (the state even does mock drills) and then I lived in Southern California for years and actually experienced earthquakes. It feels like an apocalypse scenario at this point - a big boogyman. 1mo
BarbaraBB So scary @ChaoticMissAdventures ! I was in Japan last summer when they warned for a mega earthquake. I was so scared! But it seemed the Japanese were used to it. Maybe you get used to it somehow? The book is appealing anyhow! 1mo
ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB you really do. Like anything I guess. Some are scarier than others. I remember just standing there during my first not knowing what to do but after a few you know the ones to ignore and the ones to duck and cover from. 1mo
BarbaraBB @ChaoticMissAdventures That‘s probably how things go. You learn to live with it. 1mo
Reggie Horror you said? Stacked! 1mo
Reggie Omg it doesn‘t come to my library until Mar 25 and 9 people are in front of me. Boooo 1mo
squirrelbrain Oh no, @Reggie, not horror in the ‘traditional‘ sense but all the more scary because it could happen. Maybe I should have said dystopia? 1mo
60 likes4 stack adds10 comments
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squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

Loved this coming-of-age story set in Doncaster (Donny) and written in Northern dialect. It even took me a while to get into it and I‘m from the North of England! See what you think! ⬆️🤪

Kel, Shaz and Rach grow up in the 1990s in that typical friendship love-triangle when there‘s 3 of you. The changes in timeline and POV tell the story of the girls‘ growing up and apart but will a long-held secret destroy the friendship for good?

#netgalley

LeeRHarry Sounds fab - stacked - spent many an hour in Donny train station as a student on my way to York. 😊 1mo
squirrelbrain I think you‘d love it @LeeRHarry - it came out last week. 😉 I‘ve only been to Donny once (apart from on the train!), on a works night out with a colleague who was from there. It must have been 1993/4 and we actually went to Karisma nightclub, featured in the book. 🤪 I yelped when I read it! 1mo
LeeRHarry @squirrelbrain Love it when you get surprised in a book like that 😊 1mo
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squirrelbrain
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I capitulated and ordered a print copy of this book from the Women‘s Prize longlist. #wpnf25

I had a digital copy on BorrowBox but I‘m trying not to read on my iPad as it makes my eyes sore. I read a few pages and decided it was worth buying, and I‘m glad I did.

It‘s so heavy, due to the thick, shiny, white paper and the images are beautiful. And it smells nice too! 🤪

vlwelser That's the one I have my eye on from the longlist. 1mo
BarbaraBB That looks amazing! 1mo
Cathythoughts Looks gorgeous 🤍 1mo
youneverarrived I‘ve been so tempted to buy this! Looks gorgeous. 1mo
60 likes4 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Ootlin | Jenni Fagan
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Brutal. Upsetting. Anger-inducing.

Yes, clearly, it‘s an incredible difficult read, as the author grows up in the Scottish care system. It is beautifully lyrical in places but, maybe because of this dichotomy between the beauty and the horror, I felt a weird disconnect from the writing, like I was skimming the surface. Or maybe the author is distanced from her experience for her own safety / sanity. I‘d be interested to hear what others think.

squirrelbrain It‘s still a pick, though, as it‘s necessary to put ourselves through our own (minor) discomfort to read such important books. 1mo
TrishB I watched the author talking about this with Samantha Morton, they both had harrowing stories 😢 1mo
ChaoticMissAdventures This one has been hard to get my hands on in the US. Might have to order it from Blackwells when the fiction list drops... Glad to hear you got something out of it even if the topic is hard. 1mo
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Lindy Glad to see your review. I enjoyed Fagan‘s Panopticon and Luckenbooth, so I immediately wanted to read her memoir when I saw it on the Women‘s Prize Nonfiction list. Hopefully it will be released in North America soon. 1mo
Hooked_on_books It‘s always interesting with books relating harrowing experiences. Different styles of approaching it work for different people. I usually avoid books related to childhood abuse, but I think this one might be a bit of a variation on that, so I‘ll give it a try. I‘m sure it‘ll infuriate me regardless. 1mo
youneverarrived I‘m going to listen to this when I‘ve finished A Thousand Threads. Did you do print or audio? 1mo
squirrelbrain @TrishB - Samantha Morton had a terrible childhood too. 😞 1mo
squirrelbrain I hope you can both get hold of it soon. 🤞@ChaoticMissAdventures @Lindy 1mo
squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books - only read it if you can get hold of it relatively easily - I wouldn‘t buy it, if I was you. 1mo
squirrelbrain @youneverarrived - I read it in print. I think it might work better on audio as it‘s quite ‘stream of consciousness‘ which I prefer listening to rather than reading. 1mo
Hooked_on_books But what about being a completist?! 1mo
squirrelbrain Ah, yes, there is that! @Hooked_on_books Even though you‘re probably not going to read any of the NF list this year. (Me neither.) 🤪 1mo
Hooked_on_books Now, I never said I wasn‘t going to read any of the list. Silly Helen. I just wasn‘t going to go full bore into it (she says after nearing completion of the 4th book and having 6 more available to start reading with designs on the rest). 😬 1mo
charl08 Just picked this up. Harrowing stuff. 3w
78 likes14 comments
review
squirrelbrain
The Artist | Lucy Steeds
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Pickpick

Set in the 1920s, Joseph, an aspiring art critic, travels to Provence to try to interview Edouard Tartuffe, a notoriously difficult, reclusive artist who lives an isolated life with his niece, Ettie.

This was such a beautiful, sensory book with its depictions of beauty (a Provençal summer, the food) and horror (The Great War) and the questions of what is art, who is an artist and what do we see when we actually look?

LeeRHarry So stacked!! 😊 great review! 1mo
youneverarrived Sounds great. Stacking 🤍 1mo
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 1mo
See All 7 Comments
TrishB Just finished this- I didn‘t think I was going to love it as much as I did! I‘m always in the woman escaping/finding herself corner. 2w
kspenmoll Sounds wonderful! 2w
squirrelbrain It‘s fabulous isn‘t it?! @TrishB You should definitely try it @kspenmoll 2w
TrishB It is! And I love the cover. 2w
72 likes5 stack adds7 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

Another amazing book from the #wpnf25 longlist. The author has spent her legal career challenging the police, the govt and other legislative bodies, often in the cases of women who have been victims of male violence or abuse.

Wistrich writes in an engaging, accessible way, without too much legalese, despite the complexity of the cases she talks about. The book made me furious but also grateful that she (& others) are trying to upend the system.

Hooked_on_books Nice! The audio of this one was relatively cheap on Libro, so I picked it up there. I only have my hands on a few of the books. 1mo
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 1mo
Jas16 This sounds great. 1mo
See All 18 Comments
squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books @Jas16 - it‘s focused on the British legal system but I still think you‘ll both find it fascinating. It should work well on audio, Holly, with distinct chapters and clear explanations. 1mo
Chelsea.Poole Important books do invoke fury! Several on this list have the potential to do so. 1mo
squirrelbrain And yet we should still read them @Chelsea.Poole - if we don‘t we won‘t learn and understand. (Preaching to the converted here, I know!) 1mo
Hooked_on_books Cool. It‘s always interesting to see how other legal systems compare. 1mo
youneverarrived Imagine it will be a tough but very important read! It‘s one I would have wanted to read even if not on the longlist. 1mo
TheKidUpstairs @Chelsea.Poole I love that the list really confronts the world we find ourselves in and doesn't back away from the fury and rage. And also celebrate beauty and creativity and wonder. Sometimes all of it in the same book. 1mo
Hooked_on_books So…I *may* have gone to the library today and picked up a couple…okay, three, of the WPNF titles. Oops. Don‘t tell my husband. 😬 1mo
squirrelbrain Ohhhh, you *are* naughty! @Hooked_on_books Which ones did you get? 1mo
Hooked_on_books I got The Story of a Heart, which I‘ve started and the writing is fantastic, Neneh, and the Scales (I‘ve read and liked her before). I also snagged Wild Thing and Raising Hare on NetGalley. I requested Peepshow as well, but no response on that one yet. None of those are out yet in the US. And Ootlin and Tracker don‘t appear to have US pub dates, so I‘ll have to order them from Blackwell‘s after the move. 1mo
squirrelbrain I‘ve read extracts from Heart in the UK press and it seemed really good. I picked up 4 more from the library the other day, including Heart and the Scales. I‘m loving Neneh on audio which I‘ll *nearly* finish tomorrow. @Hooked_on_books 1mo
TheKidUpstairs @Hooked_on_books I'm reading Story of a Heart right now, too. It's so good, I can't put it down, but I'm reading through tears! 1mo
Hooked_on_books @TheKidUpstairs I just finished and I was thinking it would make a lot of people cry! 1mo
TheKidUpstairs @Hooked_on_books she handles Max and Keira's stories with such compassion, it's really beautiful. And I'm loving how she balances it with the history of medical advancements that lead to their care, she handles it really well for moments where you can breathe away from the sadness and appreciate the science. I'll probably finish tonight! 1mo
Hooked_on_books @TheKidUpstairs I agree. It‘s beautifully crafted and approached with such gentleness. It‘s really pitch perfect. It‘s completely worthy of this list. 1mo
86 likes2 stack adds18 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

#wpnf25

A very scary book, particularly in this current political climate. Ostensibly looking at how governments in countries such as Russia, Venezuela, Nigeria and North Korea enable each other in their pursuit of autocracy over democracy, it only serves to demonstrate how such policies and actions are now found in so-called democracies. (See quote above)

I would recommend reading this rather than listening to- I found it hard to follow on ⬇️

squirrelbrain …audio due to the sheer volume of ideas and the need to re-read passages. I also struggled to discern a narrative thread from beginning to end, it felt more like a bundle of ideas - not the book, I‘m sure, but the format. 1mo
TheKidUpstairs Good to know, I was going to listen. Will see if I can borrow a print copy! 1mo
ChaoticMissAdventures that is good to know about the audio. I am waiting for my copy from the library, and I am already scared. This quote in particular feels like our current news cycle in the US. 1mo
Jas16 Great review. Put it on hold at my library even though I said I wouldn‘t succumb to the nonfiction list. 1mo
Hooked_on_books I have this one on hold. And looky there, avoiding politics is exactly what I‘m doing right now with our non-clothed emperor and his enablers. 1mo
77 likes3 stack adds5 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

A very character-driven book that quietly meanders along until the very end when everything happens all at once. (Actually I didn‘t love the ending)

Two neighbouring couples, a doctor and a struggling farmer with both their wives pregnant, struggle along in a harsh 1960s winter. The isolation and cold draw the women together but also draw out worries and secrets that will change all their lives. Beautifully written!

TheKidUpstairs I don't know why, but stories of isolation are like catnip to me, I want to read them all! I already had this one stacked, glad to hear it (at least mostly) worked for you! 2mo
Cathythoughts Great review! I‘d stack , but I already have 👍🏻😁 2mo
BarbaraBB Great review 2mo
See All 10 Comments
Tamra I might have to break down and buy this one. 2mo
Suet624 Oooh, sounds good. 2mo
Gleefulreader This sounds terrific! 2mo
EmilyM I just finished this last night and really enjoyed it! It reminded me a bit of Amor Towels' storytelling. 2mo
squirrelbrain @TheKidUpstairs - definitely isolation, both physical and mental! 1mo
squirrelbrain Yes, that‘s very true! @EmilyM 1mo
squirrelbrain I think you‘ll like it. @Tamra 1mo
77 likes5 stack adds10 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

I read an article in the UK press a few months ago about this family and, of course, I‘d seen a lot of reviews on here.

Shari is the eldest daughter of Ruby Franke, an LDS mommy vlogger who presented a perfect family life to the work when, in reality, she was mentally abusing her kids.

I‘m glad that Shari could tell her story, and also that she protected her younger siblings from the glare of social media and other publicity.

68 likes3 stack adds
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

This #wpnf25 longlister uses the titular murders to present a wider look at the sociological issues of the poorer side 1950s London, including racism against Black people, prostitution and back-street abortions.

The author looks through the lenses of a newspaper crime reporter and an illness-beset lady crime writer to present different views on the murders, and whether someone was wrongly hanged for one of the crimes.

Engrossing!

Chelsea.Poole Great review. This is one I‘m eagerly awaiting. It publishes in the US May 6. 2mo
fredthemoose Thanks for the review! Went through last night and started plotting how best to get my hands on the women‘s nonfiction list. Looking for to this one! 2mo
jenniferw88 Sounds like you enjoyed it more than me! 😀🤣 2mo
See All 12 Comments
Hooked_on_books Nice! This one sounded interesting from the longlist to me as well @Chelsea.Poole . Alas, we must wait (or order it from Blackwell‘s). 2mo
squirrelbrain Ha! Holly @Hooked_on_books - I was going to suggest to @Chelsea.Poole that she ordered from Blackwells. Great minds think alike! 2mo
Hooked_on_books They do have free shipping to the US, after all! 2mo
Librarybelle I watched her talk about this book through the National Archives of the UK online programming. It sounds so good! 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures I had to order this one! I am looking forward to it, glad to hear you liked it! 2mo
squirrelbrain @Librarybelle @ChaoticMissAdventures - I passed it on to hubby last night who is also really enjoying it. His initial thought was that it was more of a social commentary on the times (which it was!) so if you like that kind of book you‘ll really enjoy it. 1mo
youneverarrived Sounds really interesting! I like a social commentary sort of book. Thanks for tagging me. This is the most popular of the long list at the library so might be a little while before it gets to me but I‘ll look forward to it. 1mo
squirrelbrain It‘s a shame you have such a long wait @youneverarrived 🤨 1mo
TheKidUpstairs I'm really looking forward to this one! Like @Chelsea.Poole I've got to wait until May, but I'm already on a library hold list for it! 1mo
70 likes5 stack adds12 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

This was all kinds of crazy and completely OTT, but I loved it!

4 friends in their 30s, who met at uni, attend the baby shower from hell (including a vulva piñata!). They‘re all going through different stages in life so are growing apart.

The mysterious Phoebe turns up, tensions rise, and there‘s a fire, but who started it?

It‘s a very propulsive read but so much so that I felt the ending, with its big whodunit reveal, was a bit of a let-down.

BarbaraBB It sounds crazy 🤪 2mo
sarahbarnes Wow, I‘m stacking it now! 2mo
Cupcake12 This was so good. I love Holly‘s books and I read them all x 2mo
See All 6 Comments
squirrelbrain It skewed a little bit young for me @sarahbarnes (I‘m not a millennial! 🤪) but still a great read! 2mo
sarahbarnes I am definitely not a millennial! 😆 2mo
CarolynM I like the sound of this. Stacked🙂 2mo
76 likes4 stack adds6 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
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Me, last night - I‘m not reading the #wpnf2025 list this year, I‘m saving myself for the Fiction list.

Also me, at 8am this morning - hmmm, these all look very interesting.

Me again, mid-afternoon - oh, I have a meeting *quite* near the library, might just pop in.

Me once more, a bit later in the afternoon - oops - I seem to have made a spreadsheet and reserved or borrowed nearly all of the books!

🤦‍♀️

BarbaraBB Who were you kidding by thinking you wouldn‘t read the NF longlist!? 2mo
Centique Ha ha 😂 Its a kind service to those of us who will just pick and choose from your reviews! 2mo
LeahBergen 😆 I was just reading about Peepshow. I may need it! 2mo
See All 20 Comments
squirrelbrain Only myself, of course! 🤪 @BarbaraBB 2mo
ferskner You are my people. 2mo
squirrelbrain Why, thank you! @Centique ☺️ I shall do my best! 2mo
squirrelbrain I‘ve just started that one first @LeahBergen as someone else has reserved it at the library already. Only 2 chapters in, but I‘d recommend it so far. 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures So many sound so good!! I love that I had only 2 on my radar! 2mo
TheKidUpstairs 🤣 I also want going to read the long list. I also have about 75% of it on hold right now at the library. 🤷‍♀️ I have no willpower when it comes to the Women's Prize! 2mo
LeahBergen @squirrelbrain Good to know! I‘ll add it to my list 👍 2mo
squirrelbrain Yes @ChaoticMissAdventures - not many on my radar either, although I‘d read extracts from a few in the press here but then completely forgot about them! (The Story of a Heart, Peepshow and Sister in Law) 2mo
squirrelbrain @ferskner - so nice that we can all be book-crazy together! 🤪 2mo
Jas16 I keep stress buying books so am already about to be buried in packages. I cannot succumb to the list. 2mo
Ruthiella Your cunning plan was foiled! 😂 2mo
Suet624 What @Centique said. 2mo
Suet624 @Jas16 I‘m in the same boat. 2mo
Chelsea.Poole Good job holding back 😆 these three sound very interesting to me. I was able to borrow 2mo
sarahbarnes Go forth I say! You can never read too many books! 📚 2mo
AnneCecilie I‘m looking forward to your thoughts on all of the pictured books. They sound so interesting 2mo
68 likes20 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
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Diane @Crazeedi - thank you so much for my lovely card and the beautiful hummingbird!

It‘s so nice to hear from you from all those miles away! Hopefully we‘ll all be able to come out of hibernation soon, once Spring arrives!

blurb
squirrelbrain
Serenity Booksellers Romiley | Stockport, United Kingdom (Bookstore)
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Fabulous day out with @TrishB at a new book festival, Stockport Noir Crime Fiction Festival, organised by the tagged bookshop.

All of the authors were fabulous, witty, informative and fun. Only ‘issue‘ was they made us want to buy *all* the books!

Just a shame that Michael Wood couldn‘t be there (he was in hospital) but two of his fellow authors / friends called him for a brief chat with the audience!

TrishB A great day 👍🏻 with more books….. 2mo
Suet624 So fun! 2mo
Cathythoughts Sounds great 👏🏻❤️ 2mo
65 likes3 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
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#libraryhaul

Popped into the library to pick up the tagged, which I‘d reserved, and may have accidentally picked up 3 others as well. Not sure how that happened. 🤔 And I definitely haven‘t got enough books of my own to read, or eleventy-seven ARCs. 🤷‍♀️

I hadn‘t heard of In Universes and I‘m not sure it‘s *quite* my thing (not that keen on SF) but it was on the New Books shelf so I thought I‘d take a chance.

TiredLibrarian That's the beauty of library books; you can take a chance on things outside your norm and there's nothing to lose! 2mo
squirrelbrain Exactly! @TiredLibrarian - I wouldn‘t have bought it, but might end up loving it! 2mo
sarahbarnes I love doing that at the library! Going in to pick something up and browsing around. I haven‘t heard of the tagged but it sounds interesting! And what are those books in the background of your photo? 2mo
See All 6 Comments
squirrelbrain There‘s been lots of talk about the tagged in the UK @sarahbarnes - it may be a bit ‘millennial‘ for me, but we‘ll see! The little books are a full set of Penguin Moderns. https://penguinmodern.com/ 2mo
sarahbarnes That‘s a really cool set! 2mo
Centique I love the eleventy-seven ARCs 😂😂 Good luck and hope theres some gold in that pile! 2mo
74 likes6 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

I clearly didn‘t hate this as much as many Littens - I gave it a pick after all! I found George to be more pathetic than anything, although he did become particularly insufferable at the time he was clearing out his childhood bedroom.

Where I do agree with everyone is why did we need a book about a boring white guy? And I contrast it with Help Wanted, another #ToB book, that was also about the mundanities of life but SO much more interesting.

Bookwormjillk Good to know 2mo
sarahbarnes I think I‘m skipping this one. 2mo
BarbaraBB I just got my copy of this one. Glad it was a pick for you! 2mo
69 likes3 comments
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squirrelbrain
Untitled | Unknown
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Is anyone else doing this challenge from Libro.fm? Not gonna say no to a free audiobook credit! (I presume it‘s running elsewhere outside the UK?)

Rather annoyingly someone phoned me (work-related 🤨) when I was driving home last night and I missed about 45 minutes of listening time.

Fortunately @TrishB and I are going to Stockport Noir Crime Literature Festival tomorrow which is 4+ hours of driving and listening for me. ☺️

squirrelbrain @rockpools - have you heard of Libro.FM? It‘s cheaper than Amazon (and it‘s not Amazon! 🤪) and donates to a bookshop of your choice, a bit like bookshop.org. 2mo
TrishB Enjoy your listening 😁 2mo
rockpools Ooh, that‘s cool - thank you! I explored Libro way back, but at the time they weren‘t fully set up for UK users to subscribe. However, as of your link, UK users get 2 free credits when they sign up… which is nice 😁 2mo
See All 13 Comments
squirrelbrain Yes @rockpools - I‘ve used it for a while as both @Megabooks and @Hooked_on_books have sent me vouchers before but I wasn‘t aware until recently that they were fully set up for UK subscription now. I got the two free credits as well! 2mo
Hooked_on_books Yes, I‘m absolutely participating! I‘ve already started tracking my listening time and books listened to. I love Libro! 2mo
squirrelbrain Hooray! @Hooked_on_books - looking forward to seeing how you do! 2mo
BarbaraBB Enjoy your day with @TrishB ❤️ 2mo
squirrelbrain Thank you @BarbaraBB - we‘ll try to remember to post pics! 2mo
youneverarrived Have a fab day and enjoy your listening! 💕 2mo
squirrelbrain Knowing that you‘re really busy Holly @Hooked_on_books - just a little reminder that this finished yesterday and you have a few days to submit your entry! ☺️ 1mo
Hooked_on_books Thanks Helen! This is something I‘m on top of, and I submitted my entry last night. 27 hours listened during the included period, 6 audiobooks (I listen at 2.5x). How‘d you do? 1mo
squirrelbrain I did 11.5 hours, which is more than I‘d usually do but I did a fair bit of driving. I can‘t listen when I‘m working which is annoying - usually it‘s only on my commute or when I‘m ironing. 🙄 I listened to Shari Franke plus parts of 3 other books. I listen between 1.8x and 2x, depending on the narrator. @Hooked_on_books 1mo
Hooked_on_books Yes, there‘s only so much ironing one can do! Most of my work I can do while listening except invoicing, bookkeeping, and creating shipments. Plus there‘s all the packing, during which my ears were plugged in. 1mo
52 likes13 comments
review
squirrelbrain
The Boyhood of Cain | Michael Amherst
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Pickpick

#netgalley Pub 13th Feb UK

Hmmm…can‘t decide if this is a very light pick or a so-so. It wasn‘t what I expected and, indeed the chronology was quite different to the blurb.

Daniel, referred to as ‘the boy‘ throughout, attends a school where his father used to be headmaster so feels above everyone else. Then he makes a new friend and a popular teacher shows interest in him, but his mother and father are behaving oddly.

Daniel was very ⬇️

squirrelbrain …unlikeable, his sister was almost invisible and it felt very old-fashioned, almost 60s, despite being set in the late 1990s. By the end, though, I did appreciate Daniel‘s inner voice and understood the way his mind was working, hence the light pick. (edited) 2mo
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 2mo
72 likes2 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Beautyland: A Novel | Marie-Helene Bertino
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Pickpick

Another one from the #ToB list that I loved, although the quirky premise (girl sent from another planet to report back on life on Earth) concerned me. Turns out I loved Adina and I‘d have been one of those holding up the ‘I believe you‘ placards at her readings.

I‘m glad it made the shortlist as the book was so difficult to get hold of here in the UK that I probably wouldn‘t have bothered otherwise and I‘m so pleased I got to experience it.

sarahbarnes Wow, a glowing review of this one! I haven‘t read it yet; I may need to check it out. It wasn‘t speaking to me…. 2mo
Jas16 I felt the same way. I would have skipped it too and am so glad I didn‘t. 2mo
BarbaraBB Beautiful photo. I am glad you loved it! 2mo
See All 14 Comments
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 2mo
squirrelbrain It wasn‘t speaking to me particularly @sarahbarnes - or to @Jas16 either. If we both loved it I‘m sure you will too! 2mo
Cathythoughts Great review… I‘m wondering about it. Sounds good. 2mo
Chelsea.Poole So glad it worked for you! 2mo
Suet624 I liked this one too. 2mo
CarolynM Another one for the TBR😬 2mo
squirrelbrain Sorry, not sorry! 🤪 @CarolynM 2mo
Hooked_on_books I read this one soon after it published, as it one that popped up at my library and sounded interesting. I really liked it. It‘s received a lot of end of year love here and I‘m glad for that. 2mo
squirrelbrain It was so difficult together hold of here @Hooked_on_books - I ordered it on Amazon at Xmas, as I was gifted a voucher. It was going to take 3 weeks to come, then the day after it was due to be delivered they cancelled my order. 🤷‍♀️ I got a copy on EBay in the end, and now Amazon keep emailing to say ‘Here‘s something you might like‘. 🤦‍♀️ 2mo
Hooked_on_books Well that‘s maddening! Yet another reason not to use the big A I suppose. That kind of wait time (actually more like a month) is routine for Hawaii. It‘s understandable but very frustrating. I‘m glad you managed to track it down. The things we do for books! 2mo
BkClubCare Yay! 👏 I admit that I love the purple of the cover; yours is a lot darker almost black? Anyway, I loved the story. 2mo
74 likes14 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
Untitled | Unknown
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Here‘s a few ideas for books that *may* be on the Women‘s Prize NF longlist. #wpnf2025

I have the top 3 reserved on BorrowBox. Not sure about the Darian but I *think* she has written this in English. Same with Looking at Women, which I‘ve read. I‘ve also read The Lasting Harm.

The rest I‘ve found by poking through various lists and are all books I‘d like to read. Not sure how many I‘ll *actually* read this year - might save myself for fiction!

youneverarrived Lots of interesting sounding books! Looking forward to the Sarah Moss. 2mo
Hooked_on_books I always enjoy when people do predictions. I‘m not good at them, so I don‘t try. These look interesting! I‘ve read the Moss and it‘s good. The writing is quite different. 2mo
Cathythoughts I must look up these books. 👍🏻❤️ (edited) 2mo
squirrelbrain I‘m no good at predictions either @Hooked_on_books ! I would think that *none* of these will be on the list. 🤪 @youneverarrived @Cathythoughts 2mo
57 likes4 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Colored Television | Danzy Senna
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Pickpick

#ToB #shortlist

Loved this! I found it sharp and snarky and it‘s one of those books where the MCs are rather obnoxious (this time in an arty-farty way) but you love them anyway.

I thought the ending was a little weak, but I can see why it made the #ToBshortlist.

Thanks so much for sending it to me! @BarbaraBB

ChaoticMissAdventures I want to read this one, the library list is so long. I am so curious about her and her husband and what their dinner conversations are like. they are both so smart and talented. 2mo
BarbaraBB Glad you liked it! 2mo
squirrelbrain OMG! @ChaoticMissAdventures - I had no idea they were a couple! 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️ 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain I found out maybe a year or so ago and have to admit I am fascinated. 2mo
CarolynM Great review. I‘m looking forward to this one now🙂 2mo
66 likes4 stack adds5 comments
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squirrelbrain
Untitled | Untitled
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#fridaynight #bookstack

I *may* have done a spot of shopping this week….that‘s the bottom 4 books. Actually, all purchased with Xmas vouchers so it doesn‘t count, right?!

I‘m wondering whether the bottom 3 are possibles for the Women‘s Prize longlist - what do you think?

The top 2 are library books.

I finished all my current reads during the week so just need to choose which one (or two, or three) to start next. 🤔

Centique Im very interested in Beautyland. Look forward to your review. 2mo
youneverarrived Nesting sounds good 👍 2mo
squirrelbrain That‘s the one I decided to start last night @Centique - I‘ll let you know how I get on! 2mo
squirrelbrain It sounds so good doesn‘t it?! @youneverarrived 2mo
Caroline2 Ohhh I‘m really interested in nesting too. 👍 good looking stack. 2mo
60 likes5 comments
review
squirrelbrain
The Cafe with No Name | Robert Seethaler
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Pickpick

#netgalley Pub 13th Feb in the UK

I‘d read The Tobacconist by this author and enjoyed it so when this popped up on NG I thought I‘d give it a try.

This is a quiet, contemplative book, following a number of years in the life of a café, its owner Robert, and many of the customers.

Just a delightful relaxing read - perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon!

Tamra I am hopping on this as soon as it‘s published. He‘s an auto buy for me - I‘ve read 3. (edited) 2mo
BarbaraBB Glad you‘re having a lazy Sunday afternoon 🩷 2mo
squirrelbrain I‘d like to read more by him @Tamra - this one seems very highly rated. 2mo
Tamra @squirrelbrain I‘ve loved all three - highly recommend. 😁 2mo
70 likes3 stack adds4 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Bad Habit: A Novel | Alana S. Portero
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Pickpick

Narrated by a trans woman who was a young child in a blue-collar area of Madrid in the 1980s and grew up during the AIDS era this is a heart-breaking but life-affirming novel.

The vignettes of the neighbourhood, life and people around the MC were beautifully told, but always with a threatening undercurrent.

Loved the women who supported our un-named protagonist, and helped her become herself, particularly Margarita and Eugenia.

A must read!

BarbaraBB Wow, high praise! Stacking! 2mo
squirrelbrain I think you‘d really appreciate it @BarbaraBB 2mo
Jas16 I really loved this one too. Great review! 2mo
See All 7 Comments
squirrelbrain Yes, I saw your great review when I was about halfway through @Jas16 - it‘s a book that deserves to be more widely read. 2mo
LeeRHarry Waiting for it to come in at my library- hopefully soon as I‘m more interested to read it after your great review. 😊 2mo
CarolynM Great review. I already have it stacked or I would now🙂 2mo
squirrelbrain Thank you @CarolynM - I‘m sure you‘ll love it when you get to it! 2mo
68 likes1 stack add7 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Good Dirt | Charmaine Wilkerson
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Pickpick

#netgalley - pub 6th Feb UK

This is the second novel by the author of Black Cake. I may be going against the grain but I much preferred this one - some other early reviewers felt that the old jar featured in this book didn‘t have as much impact as the cake recipe in the first but I liked it.

There was quite a time distance between the tales of slavery (and the jar) and the modern day, which perhaps lessened the impact but the modern-day ⬇️

squirrelbrain …storyline was fascinating and compelling. My favourite fiction book of the year so far. 2mo
TrishB High praise 👍🏻 will keep my eye out for it. 2mo
vlwelser That is a beautiful cover. The US one is sort of meh. The book itself is fab, obviously. 2mo
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BarbaraBB That is high praise indeed. I am not especially drawn to this kind of story but now I must rethink! 2mo
Chelsea.Poole I‘ve been put off by this one, but your review has also changed my mind like @BarbaraBB and I agree with @vlwelser this is a fabulous cover. The colored blob covers (like the US edition) are overdone and I‘m ready to leave that trend behind. 2mo
squirrelbrain @barbarabb @chelsea.poole @trishb - I hope I‘ve not over-hyped it for you now. 😬 I agree about the cover @vlwelser - just checked out the US one and that style is getting very boring / same-y now. 🤷‍♀️ 2mo
65 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

This was laugh out loud hilarious - I found myself glad that I drive for my commute now rather than going by train as I‘d have had some funny looks otherwise. (The humour is very British-centric and there‘s lot of British pop-culture references too)

The author is also very caring towards the women who have been involved in romance fraud, and rightfully very angry on their behalf.

Also has to be the funniest (& sweariest) acknowledgments ever!

julesG Did you notice that it has a yellow cover? Guess where my (unread) copy is. 2mo
squirrelbrain Hmmm, might it be on your blue shelf?! @julesg 🤪 2mo
BarbaraBB I know someone who thought she had an affair with him! Must read this! 2mo
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squirrelbrain Oh no! @BarbaraBB - you can see how it can happen though. 😞 2mo
BarbaraBB This is an elderly lonely lady and she really believed it was him because he called and texted her. She lent him the money to come and visit her 🤦🏻‍♀️ 2mo
Chelsea.Poole I really enjoyed this one! She‘s great!! 2mo
squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB - that‘s very sad. 2mo
71 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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squirrelbrain
Boy from the Sea | Garrett Carr
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A baby is found washed upon the shore of an Irish fishing village in the 1970s. Ambrose Bonnar, a local fisherman, decides his family should keep him but Brendan is an odd boy, given to offering benedictions to the other villagers, and despised by his ‘brother‘ Declan.

This was a little reminiscent of Coast Road, but not as good - there was too much about fishing for my liking. A pick, but #borrownotbuy.

#netgalley Out 6th Feb in the UK

BarbaraBB Sounds good though 2mo
TheKidUpstairs Hmm...interesting. I was looking forward to this one, but I didn't like Coast Road. I'll probably still try it if my library gets a copy, and take your advice to borrow not buy! 2mo
squirrelbrain Oh, it‘s interesting that you didn‘t like Coast Road @TheKidUpstairs - the similarities are really just time and place. I thought this was a bit more pedestrian and slow-moving. What I did like was the style - told in first person plural by all of the villagers - ‘we knew‘, ‘we saw‘ etc 2mo
71 likes1 stack add3 comments
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squirrelbrain
Cahokia Jazz | Francis Spufford
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I *nearly* bailed on this ‘hardboiled detective‘ novel from the #ToBlonglist but persevered and, about 30% in, found myself caring for one of the MCs which turned the book around.

It could also be called speculative fiction as it‘s set in an alternative 1920s USA, where First Nations people live side by side with Blacks and whites, but still with the KKK on the rise and a ritualistic murder on a rooftop setting the whole town on edge.

rockpools Wow! There‘s a LOT going on there! 2mo
Megabooks I don't even remember registering that this was on the longlist! 2mo
BarbaraBB Neither did I @Megabooks but it does sound d tempting! 2mo
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squirrelbrain Now you made me go double-check @Megabooks @BarbaraBB in case I had it wrong! 🤪 2mo
squirrelbrain Yes, there was a lot @rockpools - I tried it on audio first but it was all too much. Particularly as the three races had similar sounding names - takouma, takata and taklousa. 🤔 2mo
Larkken This one looked interesting to me! Good to know about the audiobook 2mo
squirrelbrain It may just have been me @Larkken - I listen on my commute and it‘s very easy to drift off, thinking about work, if a book doesn‘t grab me straight away. 🤷‍♀️ 2mo
69 likes1 stack add7 comments
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squirrelbrain
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I wasn‘t going to read this, but then it made the #ToB shortlist. I still wasn‘t sure but thought if I borrowed it from the library, I could bail.

I ended up really liking it and it didn‘t feel (quite) as long as it looked.

Thanks #ToB - you made me read and enjoy a fantasy book about teenagers, with ghosts, magic and weird creatures, where I didn‘t always understand what the heck was happening!

Henry liked it too! 🤪

LeahBergen Hello, Henry! 😘 3mo
ChaoticMissAdventures Oh this is good to hear! I am not hearing many enjoy it, I might give it a shot 3mo
Hooked_on_books This is my last one left from the shortlist. I hadn‘t planned to read it initially but put the audio on hold in case I changed my mind. I don‘t have it yet, but several of you all now liking it, I feel a little more hopeful about it. And I love that Henry is a goof! 😆 3mo
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youneverarrived I love when a book surprises you and you end up liking it more than you thought! 3mo
BarbaraBB Wow! Kudos for giving it a chance and continue reading it! 3mo
Readerann 🐶 😍 2mo
squirrelbrain Henry says snoof! @LeahBergen 🐾 2mo
squirrelbrain @ChaoticMissAdventures @Hooked_on_books @youneverarrived @barbarabb - the more recent reviews on GR are awful and it‘s not my thing at all but I was pleasantly surprised. (edited) 2mo
sarahbarnes I‘m glad you liked it! I liked it more than I expected, too, but it did often feel long to me. Cute pic!! 😍 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain often times when reviews are overly terrible I read the book and think well this is fine, IDK what these people are talking about. They can really skew (either way) how I feel about a book which isn't always good but sometimes my expectations get so low I can say really pleasant things about a book! 2mo
squirrelbrain I probably did skim it a bit @sarahbarnes as I often do! 🤪 2mo
squirrelbrain In this case @ChaoticMissAdventures reviewers on GR either love it or hate it. But the last few reviews on here were good and I trust Littens more than GR readers so I gave it a go! 2mo
Megabooks Sweet Henry boy!! This was this year‘s Ozeki for me. I was surprised to enjoy it as much as I did. 2mo
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squirrelbrain
Confessions | Catherine Airey
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Loved this debut novel, out in the UK 23rd January.

Cora is left alone in NYC in Sept 2001 when her father dies in the Twin Towers. She travels to Ireland to live with her Mother‘s sister, who had been estranged from the family for years. We travel back in time to learn about Cora‘s mother, Maire, and her aunt Roisin, and then forwards as Cora‘s own daughter starts to piece together the family history.

Ultimately this is a book about ⬇️

squirrelbrain …women‘s agency over their own bodies and how they are treated by men. Only two little niggles - there was an unnecessary computer game storyline and the ending was slightly pat. 3mo
BarbaraBB Great review. I am not really sold though 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3mo
TrishB This sounds good 👍🏻 3mo
70 likes6 stack adds3 comments
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squirrelbrain
The Book Censor's Library | Bothayna Al-Essa
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I clearly didn‘t love this #ToB book as much as other Littens (looking at you in particular Holly, @Hooked_on_books ). I mean, I loved the writing style and all of the bookish references but I found it really depressing and the Book Censor‘s life was so ultimately futile.

I‘ve been trying to figure out why it felt more so than 1984 and I think the MC was actually likeable and, of course, there‘s the inclusion of his daughter in this one.

Hooked_on_books I wish you had loved it as much as me! I thought it was magical. And, quite frankly, I loved the fact that the attitudes in a Middle Eastern country were echoing those of right wing book banners here, as I know that would rankle the conservatives. Do you have people trying to ban books there that‘s escalating like we do? 3mo
squirrelbrain It‘s nothing like as bad here @Hooked_on_books - there have been protests around eg drag Queen storytelling and this article ⬇️ shows that there *are* requests to ban books, but not at the scale in the US. Didn‘t it feel too real / close to the bone for you? 3mo
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Hooked_on_books I feel like when things are real they need to be shown in books so that they are validated and also so we can see a more nuanced view. So I think books like this one are vital. I hate to tell you this, but it started here as a protest about drag queen story hour (I think drag queens are awesome, so I really don‘t get the issue) and slid into book banning, so my guess is that‘s where you‘re headed. 3mo
Hooked_on_books It looks from the article that the exact same books are being targeted as is happening here; unsurprising as many trying to ban books follow an online playbook. If your library association at the national level is smart, they‘ll get ahead of it by looking at what‘s been effective here in fighting the bans. Based on the article, sounds like that hasn‘t happened yet. 3mo
BarbaraBB Great review and discussion. I get why you love it so much @Hooked_on_books and also why you did less Helen. I am with with you that book banning doesn‘t feel like reality here. I get scared by what you say Holly about the way it started in the US. Fortunately I haven‘t seen any protests around storytelling whatsoever where I live. For now the book feel like a modern, Middle Eastern version of 3mo
squirrelbrain Yes @BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books - I get the feeling that it‘s less of an issue here in the UK - our political parties are less polarised I think. Rachel @rockpools is probably better placed to comment though. 3mo
rockpools Interesting discussion Helen and @BarbaraBB and eek @Hooked_on_books - I hope we‘re not going that way! The drag time story hour protests sadly are a thing. To the point that we‘re told not to promote them on socials, because they tend to attract an out-of-area pile-on. The book banning - ugh. So many things. Schools Lib Assocn and CILIP put out a statement last year about bans/censorship: https://tinyurl.com/5m749jf3 3mo
rockpools However, as library staffing is deprofessionalised, it‘s going to be much harder for individual librarians to stand up to removal requests, as they won‘t have the clout or the support networks around them. I think active requests for book removal are a lot less organised in the UK atm, which ais helping right now. 3mo
rockpools But with drastic funding cuts and everything else, libraries are going to have to work harder to provide a proper diverse range of books. Interesting times, sadly. I might give the book a go at some point though 😔 3mo
BarbaraBB @rockpools I hadn‘t thought of the role of librarians in providing a proper collection. Thanks for adding that, it makes a lot of sense. 3mo
squirrelbrain Thank you Rachel @rockpools - very insightful. I can send you the book if you like? It‘s very difficult to get hold of here, for some reason. @BarbaraBB sent it to me. 3mo
rockpools @squirrelbrain That would be amazing- thank you Helen. 3mo
Hooked_on_books @rockpools Sadly it sounds to me that you‘re heading in the same direction as my country (well, parts of it). It seems to be part of the conservative playbook at the moment. The upside for us is that people are aware of it now that there‘s a lot of pushback and it looks like those efforts might start being on the wane, though it‘s a bit early to tell. 3mo
squirrelbrain I‘ll send it to you this week sometime @rockpools 3mo
72 likes3 stack adds15 comments
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squirrelbrain
How to Sleep at Night | Elizabeth Harris
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#netgalley #arc 16th Jan in the UK

Ethan & Gabe are married with a young daughter. Gabe is a Democrat and Ethan suddenly announces he‘s going to run for Congress as a Republican. Ethan‘s sister Kate is a political reporter who can‘t report on the campaign due to her brother running, and whose messy fling Nicole from 20 years ago (now married to a man) reappears.

I was really engrossed by this, and it became very tense as the vote grew ⬇️

squirrelbrain …nearer and everyone‘s lives started to unravel. My only quibble is that, in the story, there is no Trump, or Trumpish character, which just doesn‘t work in this day and age and made it slightly unrealistic. But maybe someone who is more au fait with US politics than I am would have a better view on this. 3mo
JenReadsAlot This sounds good! 3mo
TrishB Definitely sounds good 👍🏻 3mo
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Deblovestoread Great review! Stacked. Maybe I can pretend we live in that world rather than the one we have 😂 3mo
BarbaraBB Sounds good. Stacking! 3mo
Suet624 I‘ll keep my eyes open for it! 3mo
77 likes5 stack adds6 comments
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squirrelbrain
How We Named the Stars | Andrs N. Ordorica
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One of my favourites (so far!) from the #ToB longlist. Daniel is a scholarship student at an elite East Coast university. His roommate, Sam, is the opposite - a popular, good-looking guy whose father also attended the college. Against first impressions the two become best friends and then something more, but can their relationship go the distance?

Be warned - it‘s a sad one. 😢

sarahbarnes Good to know you liked this one! 3mo
BarbaraBB A favorite among all those good ones? That means I must stack! (edited) 3mo
squirrelbrain It would definitely make my shortlist @BarbaraBB 3mo
BarbaraBB Okay. You sold it. And I bought it. 3mo
84 likes5 stack adds5 comments
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squirrelbrain
Help Wanted | Adelle Waldman
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I didn‘t read the blurb properly on this #ToB longlister and was expecting a wacky, unrealistic, maybe horror-based, attempt by a logistics team at Town Square (aka Walmart)to get their disliked manager promoted away from them.

Instead, the author plays it ‘straight‘, which is a good thing - I really felt I got to know and care for the characters and you really see the impact of corporate decisions on the economically disadvantaged.

sarahbarnes The blurb from Elif Batuman makes me want to read this one! 3mo
Deblovestoread Your reviews are helping take the guess work out of the long list 🥰 3mo
BarbaraBB I just got a copy of this one too! 3mo
squirrelbrain I think you‘ll both really like it! @sarahbarnes @BarbaraBB 3mo
squirrelbrain Oh, the pressure! 🤪 @Deblovestoread (edited) 3mo
80 likes5 stack adds5 comments
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squirrelbrain
Cuckoo | Gretchen Felker-Martin
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Another one from the #ToBlonglist. I didn‘t enjoy Manhunt at all, but thought I‘d give this a go anyway and it was much better.

I actually don‘t mind the body horror - it doesn‘t gross me out at all but this was still rather OTT and overwrought for me. It‘s just one thing after another and all a bit much. Bury Your Gays from the longlist did a similar thing but in a subtler way, but maybe that‘s the whole point of this book?!

sarahbarnes Oof. I may skip this one. I like dark fiction but I am a little squeamish about body horror. 😬 3mo
BarbaraBB I‘m with @sarahbarnes Glad you read this one for the team Helen 😉 I will read Bury Your Gays though, thanks to your review of that one. 3mo
65 likes2 comments