Category: Book Prizes

Three books from the Baileys’ longlist

Post author By Jackie
Post date March 25, 2014
8 Comments on Three books from the Baileys’ longlist

The Dogs of Littlefield by Suzanne Berne

Five words from the blurb: dogs, poisoned, manicured, lawns, Massachussetts

The Dogs of Littlefield started well, with interesting observations about dog owners. I found their arguments about the shared use of a park interesting as I’m sure the UK will be subject to similar debates about the control of dogs in the near future.

A mystery around the poisoning of local dogs looked like a promising thread, but unfortunately this petered out, leaving only wry observations of the residents in this little town. If you enjoy slow character studies then this could be for you, but I’m afraid it was too subtle and ordinary for me.

The Shadow of the Crescent Moon by Fatima Bhutto

Five words from the blurb: Pakistan, brothers, war, devastating, morning

The Shadow of the Crescent Moon is set in a small town in Pakistan, close to the Afghan border. It follows three brothers over the course of a single morning as devastating events change their lives forever.

I found the story fragmented and was irritated by the continual flashbacks. The plot was also a bit predictable, with a terrible inevitability that I feel bad for criticising. The politics and culture of the area was well described, but I’m afraid I failed to become emotionally engaged.

Unfortunately it is the same tragic story I’ve heard many times before, with no spark of originality to grab my attention. Recommended if you’re particularly interested in the politics of the region.

Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen

Five words from the blurb: photographer, New York, country, life, lens

Still Life with Bread Crumbs is an entertaining story about a photographer who is struggling financially. She leaves her stylish New York apartment for a cheaper cottage in the country. Here she meets a variety of local residents, each with their own story to tell.

The writing was fast paced and vivid, but I’m afraid the story was too ordinary for me. I didn’t really care what happened to any of the characters and the reflections on loneliness and aging were nothing I hadn’t heard before.

If you enjoy lighter fiction, towards the chick-lit end of the scale, you’ll probably love this, but I’m afraid it didn’t have enough depth for me.

Did you enjoy any of these books more than I did?

Orange Prize Other

The 2014 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist

Post author By Jackie
Post date March 7, 2014
16 Comments on The 2014 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist

The 2014 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist was announced overnight. I was impressed by the selection. I didn’t feel as though any major novels were left out and it was nice to see a few books that were new to me.

I’ve summarised my thoughts on those I’ve tried and found five words from the blurb for those I haven’t. Enjoy browsing the list!

Books I’ve tried:

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

Five words from the blurb: botanical, explorer, woman, independent, evolution

My favourite 2013 fiction release. Gilbert is so good she can even make a story about moss interesting! I’m hoping this wins the prize.

Eleven Days by Lea Carpenter

Five words from the blurb: mother, soldier, Afghanistan, courage, love

Amazing writing which shows a mother’s relationship with her grown-up son. Fascinating information about US Navy SEAL training and society’s attitude to the armed forces. Highly recommended.

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

Five words from the blurb: India, brothers, crossroads, haunted, past

Gentle story about two Indian brothers who take different paths in life. It had some good scenes, but didn’t blow me away.

A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride

Five words from the blurb: experimental, girl, violence, personal, struggle

If you enjoyed Riddley Walker you’re in for a treat! I found the writing style too impenetrable to enjoy, but if you have the patience to persevere I’m sure you’ll be rewarded.

Almost English by Charlotte Mendelson

Five words from the blurb: London, Hungarian, relatives, strange, life

Quirky story about Hungarian family moving to London. Perfect for fans of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian.

The Bear by Claire Cameron

Five words from the blurb: something, moving, shadows, woods, screams

Narrated by a five-year-old girl, this book was compelling but frustratingly simple.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Five words from the blurb: New York, wealthy, family, self-invention, suspense

I listened to the abridged BBC audio production of this one, but even that dragged! I don’t think Tartt is for me.

MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood

Five words from the blurb: plague, group, survives, bio-engineered, humans

This is the final book in Atwood’s dystopian trilogy. I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy Oryx and Crake (and so won’t be trying this one) but I’ve heard lots of good things so if you’re a fan of her other books then you’ll appreciate this.

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Five words from the blurb: Iceland, murderer, remote, farm, execution

Fantastic piece of historical fiction, but I found it lacking the Icelandic mindset.

The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner

Five words from the blurb: fascination, motorcycles, art, dreamers, education, Italy

Fantastic writing, but too disjointed for me. If you have an interest in art or motorcycles you’ll probably love it.

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

Five words from the blurb: New Zealand, goldfield, men, crime, mystery

Well researched ambitious novel, packed with interesting ideas. Unfortunately the pace was too slow for me.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Five words from the blurb: America, Nigeria, experiences, race, relationships

Fantastic characters, but plot was a little too simple for me.

Books that I haven’t tried yet:

The Undertaking by Audrey Magee

Five words from the blurb: German, soldier, Stalingrad, hierarchy, regime

Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen

Five words from the blurb: photographer, herione, unexpected, journey, love

The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout

Five words from the blurb: accident, killed, father, childhood, trouble

The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter

Five words from the blurb: India, notorious, son, missing, questions

The Dogs of Littlefield by Suzanne Berne

Five words from the blurb: dogs, poisoned, manicured, lawns, Massachussetts

All The Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld

Five words from the blurb: British, farmhouse, beast, sheep, strange

Reasons She Goes to the Woods by Deborah Kay Davies

Five words from the blurb: childhood, escape, woods, mystery, normal

The Shadow of the Crescent Moon by Fatima Bhutto

Five words from the blurb: Pakistan, Afghan, border, war, choices

What do you think of the Baileys Women’s Prize for fiction longlist?

Orange Prize Other Uncategorized

Who will the longlisted for the 2014 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction?

Post author By Jackie
Post date February 25, 2014
39 Comments on Who will the longlisted for the 2014 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction?

On 7th March the longlist for the 2014 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction will be announced. Previously known as the Orange Prize, it is awarded to the best full length novel, written by a women, that has been published in the UK between 1st April 2013 and 31st March 2014.

It has been an amazing year for female writers and I found it very easy to think of books that deserve a place on the list. Narrowing it down to a shortlist will be very tricky, but here are the books that I predict will make the longlist:

The Sign ature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

My Notorious Life by Kate Manning

Kiss Me First by Lottie Moggach

The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner

The Intere stings by Meg Wolitzer

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The Blazing World by Siri Hustvedt

The Golem and the Djinni by Helene Wecker

All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi

Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood

The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane

The Engagement by Chloe Hooper

The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

The Gospel of Loki by Joanne Harris

The View on the Way Down by Rebecca Wait

What do you think of my selection?

Who do you think will make the Baileys Women’s Prize for fiction longlist?

Other Prizes

Brief Thoughts: Jack Glass, Men We Reaped and The Lie

Post author By Jackie
Post date January 30, 2014
4 Comments on Brief Thoughts: Jack Glass, Men We Reaped and The Lie

Jack Glass by Adam Roberts

Five words from the blurb: society, crime, asteroid, murder, freedom

Jack Glass started well, with a group of prisoners being left on an asteroid. These men will only survive their ten-year prison sentence if they work together to produce food and water, mining the rock for everything they require. The dynamics of this new society was well drawn and each of the characters jumped from the page. Unfortunately things went downhill in the second section. The new characters failed to engage me and I became increasingly bored with the story. The third section was even worse and I ended the book very disappointed. It’s a shame it failed to live up to its early promise.

Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward

Five words from the blurb: black, poverty, loss, family, struggle

I loved Salvage the Bones so was excited about trying Jesmyn Ward’s memoir. Unfortunately I found that the story was diluted by the inclusion of too many people. I found it too fragmented and lacking the emotional power of her novel. I’d have preferred a more intimate story, focusing on a smaller group of people.

The Lie by Helen Dunmore

Five words from the blurb: man, returns, war, quiet, consequences, truth

I’ve had a mixed experience with Helen Dunmore in the past (The Siege is one of my all-time favourites, but I wasn’t as fond of The Betrayal) so I wasn’t sure what I’d make of this one. Unfortunately The Lie failed to grab me. It was too slow and gentle. Individual paragraphs were well written, but the central character was distant and I failed to become invested in him. This combined with a meandering plot to create a novel that wasn’t to my taste.

Have you read any of these?

Did you enjoy them more than I did?

2013 Other Prizes

Questions of Travel by Michelle de Kretser

Post author By Jackie
Post date January 14, 2014
15 Comments on Questions of Travel by Michelle de Kretser

Winner of 2013 Miles Franklin Literary Award

Five words from the blurb: world, guides, tourist, return, dreams

Questions of Travel picked up almost every literary award possible when it was released in Australia. It also received a very mixed selection of reviews. I was interested to see how I’d react to this divisive book so I accepted a review copy. Unfortunately I’m still unsure what to make of it – my reactions are almost as mixed as the reviews!

The book focuses on two main characters: Laura, an Australian travelling the world in hope of finding the culture that she feels is missing from her country and Ravi, a Sri Lankan forced from his home by horrific events. The book has very little plot, but instead it explores the thoughts and emotions of those travelling away from home.

I shouldn’t have liked this book and thought about abandoning it on several occasions, but every time the lack of action began to bore me I was re-engaged by a fantastic piece of writing. I have done a lot of travelling and the experiences described in the book often rang true:

Laura had read widely to ready herself for adventure: traveller’s tales, histories, guidebooks. They warned of pickpockets. rabid dogs, unboiled water, children’s eyes in which the incautious might drown. But no one mentioned the sheer tedium of being a tourist. Dreaming of travel, Laura had pictured a swift slideshow of scenes. But oh, the long, blank hours that linked! … It was like being trapped in a particularly irritating Zen koan: In order to advance, the traveller must stay still.

The analysis into the motivations for travelling were fascinating and I think most people will be able to relate to some aspects of it. It was also nice to see details about how the Internet has made the world a smaller place and comparisons between finding ideas online rather than by travelling were thought provoking.

This is a book to be savoured slowly. The meandering plot often frustrated me, but once I decided to treat it more like a series of essays than a novel I began to enjoy it more. The fact I finished all 500+ pages, despite the lack of a compelling plot, is a testament to the quality of the writing. It isn’t for everyone, but if you appreciate good writing and are interested in travelling then this is the book for you.

Tags Australia

Books in Translation Other Prizes Uncategorized

Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami

Post author By Jackie
Post date January 11, 2014
9 Comments on Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami

Translated from the Japanese by Allison Markin Powell

Shortlisted for 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize

Five words from the blurb: romance, old, teacher, friendship, solace

Strange Weather is Tokyo is a beautifully written story about the friendship that develops between Tsukiko and one of her former high school teachers. The pair meet by chance in a bar and over time their relationship blossoms into a strange love affair.

Very little happens over the course of the book, but I was captivated by the quality of the writing. If the same story had been set in England I’d have probably been bored, but there is something about the Japanese way of life that fascinates me. I loved the atmospheric descriptions of the bars and food had a high prominence – it was mouthwatering:

With renewed determination, I seized a piece of the fish with my chopsticks and dunked it in the gingered soy sauce. The firm flesh had a slightly peculiar flavour. I sipped from my glass of cold sake and looked around the bar. Today’s menu was written in chalk on the blackboard: MINCED BONITO. FLYING FISH. NEW POTATOES. BROAD BEANS. BOILED PORK. If sensei were here, he would definitely order the bonito and broad beans first.

It is probably worth pointing out that the cover of this book is quite misleading. The floating woman implies some supernatural element, but this book is firmly grounded in reality. Anyone looking for the more bizarre aspects of Japanese fiction will be disappointed.

Despite the slow pace of the plot I read this book very quickly – it only took a few hours to reach the emotionally charged end. It’s the perfect way to be briefly immersed in Japanese culture.

Recommended to those who love all things Japanese.

For more Japanese book reviews see Tony’s January in Japan blog..

Tags Japan, Japanese