Yes, I judged this book and assumed I would hate it. I did not. This was our pick for earth day theme and I finished it on earth day

Entertaining and fast paced but also makes you think a bit about ethics and environmental issues. My full review is on the blog https://thereadersroom.org/2024/04/22/city-of-pearl-by-karen-traviss/

Pretty sure that Jan is trying to kill me with his book choices for our monthly partner read. This was our convo this morning 😂😂

This was his pick for our theme related to earth day. Also nothing wrong with science fiction, just if you know the sorts of books I typically like, this is funny

I‘m writing a blog post for recommendations for earth day reading and asking the Litsy community to tag a few of your recommended reads that would fit. I‘ll add your Litsy name to the recommendation.

Please send me your book recommendation and 1-2 sentences on why you recommend it. It can be fiction, non-fiction, any genre. Kid‘s YA, or adult. Once I‘ve posted the list I will put the link up on Litsy.

What books do you recommend?

I survived a Cusk book. I loved and hated this book. Not the book to read if you‘re looking for something plot driven. If you like books that require a LOT of intellectual energy, then you will like this. Definitely some brilliant reflections on art, motherhood, identify and female artists. But not highly accessible to average readers.

Full review: https://thereadersroom.org/2024/03/25/parade-by-rachel-cusk/

My latest addition to the my collection. Which is your favorite? Mine is probably the wind-up bird chronicles (not pictured here bc I read it on kindle. I‘m also missing a few others which is driving me crazy and instead of doing work, I‘m tearing up the house trying to find them 😂

I keep forgetting what‘s it‘s like to read Cusk. I feel like I need an advanced literary degree to understand this novel. So this probably means it will make the booker list

This book was excellent. A retelling of mark Twain‘s classic, James is the story of “Jim” from huckleberry Finn. My full review is on the blog but I highly recommend this book.

https://thereadersroom.org/2024/03/20/james-by-percival-everett/

James is the reimagining of huckleberry Finn told from the voice of Jim. So far, I‘m really appreciating it.

Beautifully written, impactful literary crime novel about stagnation in a small town in Ireland. This is Barrett‘s debut novel which is getting some deserved buzz in literary circles. My full review is on the blog: www.thereadersroom.org

“In reality the egg had the consistency of the excised tumor a fellow medical student once slipped into his pocket for a joke - both hard and spongy at the same time. It takes a perverse talent to maltreat an egg so completely.”

😂😂

Loving this book. Also not a spoiler

Out of the gravel there are peonies growing

#FirstLineFridays

Partner read: it was my month to pick and with some Litsy help, I finally selected Alias Grace which was also on my TBR (for a reread). After Marlon James‘ violent and highly masculine book, this month‘s theme came as a needed relief. And I love Atwood.

Jan and I finished Black Leopard, Red Wolf for February (he took the full month to make it through 😂). It‘s my turn to pick a book for our March theme (women‘s history month) and I‘m trying to also get a book off my tbr shelf. Any recommendations? I‘m having a hard time narrowing down my options

Joint read with my partner. He picked it and I think it almost broke him 😂. It‘s hard to put into words what I thought of it. I hate (and I mean HATED) some parts. It‘s graphic in terms of violence and sex, most of the sex is non-consensual, there is abuse and killing of kids, it has a feverous pacing and style. But the blending of folklore was interesting and I was engaged in the storyline when I could get past the unpleasantness.

One of the strangest books I‘ve read in a long time. I‘m not sure what to make of it yet

#bookerdozen
I‘m late to it but these are my booker dozen. Can‘t believe Atwood didn‘t make my list if I was allowed 13, she would be on there.

Jan selected our February read and I‘m shocked to see he picked not only fiction but a fantasy. He was choosing among 5 books and the other four were all non-fiction. We are allowing rather broad categories for our themes this year. So February could have been either romance Valentine‘s theme or books for black history month (including books written by black authors, centered on the stories of black characters, or about black history).

Jan and I have finished our first monthly read in our partner reading challenge. This was his first fantasy novel (very outside his comfort zone). I picked the January book, he will pick February which must include a book related to either Valentine‘s Day or to honor black history month. Since neither of us like romance novels, I assume he will want to go with a book for black history month. Any recommendations for either category?

It took me a few attempts to really get into this book but once I did, I really appreciated it. Loved how all the threads came together at the end although I think it merits another read to really understand everything.

My partner and I are reading one book a month together. Very broad categories for this year and we will alternate who picks each month. I picked this month (so I can finally finish a book I kept pushing back), he will pick next month. Life has been so hectic for both of us last few years that hoping this helps us find time for reading again. I‘ll be looking to you all each month for recommendations.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2024 with lots of good books

I loved his vampire trilogy but this one fell a bit short for me. I was entertained well enough for most of it. There is a particular type of plot twist/thread that I dislike and this fell into that category although he handled it in a less generic/formulaic way than other books I‘ve read. It‘s hard to say much without ruining the plot. It was just okay for me.

This book just broke me 😭😭

Book number 6 for our longlist panel.

Another book about grief and parental loss from this list. Makes me wonder if the Booker judges have some unresolved issues. Surely not all top books published jn the last year revolved around parental loss.

It‘s an average book. Not terrible but certainly not one of the top 13 books. You can read our full reviews here: https://thereadersroom.org/2023/09/04/2023-booker-longlist-western-lane-by-chetn...

Book #7 for our Booker longlist panel and we were very split on this one.

I enjoyed reading something that wasn‘t so bleak but it felt pretty mediocre for me. One dimensional characters way too many plot threads that simply disappeared into nothing and a romance thread that I eye-rolled my way through. You can read all our reviews here:

https://thereadersroom.org/2023/09/06/2023-booker-longlist-how-to-build-a-boat-b...

Nope. This is the kind of writing style I don‘t care for. This will be a struggle for me. 😬

Unlike 75% of people who described this book as boring, I quite enjoyed it. I‘m a researcher and psychologist and perhaps that‘s why I appreciated the book more than many. The circular nature of the book, the ways in which the author raises questions about the meaning of life and how our past impacts our present and future were all interesting to me. Full review to come on our blog where I suspect I will once again be the odd woman out.

Our panel has posted our ratings and reviews for this Booker longlist novel. You can read them here:

https://thereadersroom.org/

Our panel‘s full reviews are up on the blog. I seem to the odd woman out. Who do you agree with? Read the reviews here: https://thereadersroom.org/2023/08/21/2023-booker-longlist-old-gods-time-by-seba...

Loved it! I cried reading this book because it made me reflect on love, relationships, and forbidden feelings. Beautifully written and it really felt for all the characters but especially the female protagonist. My favorite book so far from long list. Full review on our blog in a few weeks

Reading this for our Booker panel. I didn‘t love it honestly but I gave it a “pick” because I think it was overall a good book. I felt disconnected from the characters which is odd for me bc I typically love Nigerian literature and often have strong emotional reactions to these types of books/content. Reading it through the lens of our Booker panel, it was a solid meh for me. Full review when we post our panel reviews

This book grew on me after what felt like a very slow start. I‘ll post the full review on my blog when we do the Booker panel reviews but in brief I found it beautifully written and quite clever style. Warning: does have some content and descriptions of abuse

Two years ago my partner fell off scaffolding and broke his collarbone. We are trying to raise money for a surgery bc the public health system won‘t cover it and he is in daily chronic pain

His story is in the go fund me. I‘m gifting a selection of 3-4 books (all brand new) and 3-4 matching candles from my Etsy store along with some bookish goods to one lucky person who donates ($1 or more). Will ship international

https://gofund.me/1def8eae

The longlist was announced today. How did our panel do in predictions? Check out the blog. What do you think of the list?

https://thereadersroom.org/2023/08/01/booker-prize-2023-longlist/

I love Max Porter. Grief is the Thing with Feathers is one of my favorite books. I love his writing style which I find wholly creative and innovative. And his books address important philosophical, social, and emotional questions. This book was no exception. Centered around the experience of a troubled teen, it‘s beautifully written — you will find yourself reading it aloud— and dives right into masculinity and inner struggles of young men.

I enjoyed this. I bought the print copy, read half as print and then lost the print copy and since I had lots of audible credits, I finished it as an audio book. I find Catton to be a brilliant writer and I enjoy her style. This book was more action packed than her prior books but similarly dense with some interesting political/philosophical discussions. It‘s on my Booker prediction list

Our Booker predictions are out on the blog. Which books did we miss? Which books did we get right?

https://thereadersroom.org/2023/07/28/booker-prize-2023-longlist-predictions/hic...

It‘s rare that I have time to sit and read for a decent amount of time. Taking a break from literary fiction to finally read one of the books that‘s been sitting in my bookshelf for way too long

This has been getting some buzz for possible Booker prize long list. Set in Trinidad in the 1940s, this novel tells the tale of a poor family who find themselves intertwined with a wealthy family. The novel explores colonialism, social class, religion, and violence that emerges when groups clash. It‘s an unrelentingly dark book. I didn‘t particularly enjoy it but recognize it‘s merits. I did enjoy learning about the concept of hungry ghosts.

I‘m a slacker when it comes to reading but coming back for Booker Prize. I have two months to try and get up to speed and am trying to read some contenders ahead of time so I can make more informed predictions.

So which books should I be reading? What do you think this years contenders will be?

I‘m currently reading Hungry ghosts

I cried throughout this book. I couldn‘t read more than 10 pages at a time. Having had a lot of loss in my life in the last 5 years, several as a result of cancer, and a mother in remission, I almost couldn‘t get through it. But it‘s so beautifully written that sometimes the passages made me cry for the beauty of the writing alone.

This book on the other hand…
I am only 20 pages in, but oh my heart. I‘m pretty sure I loved it once I saw the cover and that feeling was cemented by the first paragraph

So overall I thought this was a good book, thus I gave it a pick. Do I think it‘s anything extra special that merits making the shortlist? Not really. What did you all think? You can read out panel‘s full reviews on the blog here: https://thereadersroom.org/2022/08/05/booker-longlist-booth-karen-joy-fowler/

Slow paced but really interesting read that tackles themes of identity and culture. Every year our panel reviews the long list. Our panelists‘ reviews can be found on the blog. This book is leading so far. #bookerlonglist2022

https://thereadersroom.org/2022/08/02/booker-longlist-the-colony-by-audrey-magee...

Look where I am: #bucketlist

Look where I am: bucket list

I loved it in spite of its flaws. Yes, the pacing was all over the place, some pieces sorely underdeveloped or glossed over while others overly detailed but I laughed, reflected, smiled and overalls really enjoyed it. It‘s a dark comedy that reflects on modern families, society, and culture.

Looking for recommendations. A good friend of mine‘s girlfriend recently passed away after long battle with cancer. He and I have bonded over books. I‘m looking for a few books I can gift him. One to help process/deal with loss and another humorous book to help with distraction when needed. He likes literary fiction and non-fiction. We are both psychologists so no self-help books please.

Our panel‘s Booker predictions are out. Check them out and let us know what you think we got right and what we missed.

https://thereadersroom.org/2021/07/24/booker-2021-longlist-predictions/