Anyone read any of these yet?  What did you think?

http://www.themanbookerprize.com/prize/thisyear/longlist

I read The Slap and The Helen Dunmore one this month without knowing they were on the list.  In fact such lists don’t usually ever interest me and if it were not for my unaccustomed reading of The Guardian yesterday would have been none the wiser about this one

I have read all of the other Rose Tremain books, so shall be interested to read this one of hers which I have not yet.  Also the David Mitchell new one, I especially liked Number nine dream, what fast trip of a book.  Different to Cloud Atlas which I enjoyed a lot.  I gave both my brothers the Number Nine Dream, they are big readers too and both liked it.  They were not so struck on his other books, I like Ghostwritten but not so much the Black Swan, too much like any other UK biography turned fiction.

The Slap, was very very soap opera-ish.  I wouldn’t read it again nor suggest it to anyone as a great read, but I can sort of see why others may like it.  Very urban and Of Our Times.  Or something.

I liked very much the Helen Dunmore and hope she wins.  I read this as much for the continuation of the characters and their story from her previous Leningrad book as anything.  Hard to judge alone on that score tho, readable and interesting.  I love all of Helen Dunmore’s short story collections.  Once for a book exchange I was part of I contributed For the Love of Fat Men.  Did anyone in my group like it?  Ummm, they were tactful, but mostly just didn’t go in for short stories, or stories with bits left dangling and unfinished.  Me too sometimes, other times the descriptions and sense of place are so wonderful (like the Ulli stories) I couldn’t care less about the endings (or lack there of).  Her books are unusual and have evocative landscapes.

Opinions anyone?

What other books are you enjoying right now?  Anything you’d recommend?  I just finished another Nina Dufort book, she only has three but they are simple witty and clear with lovely images.

Have you read (or attempted!) The Great Cosmic Mother?  It’s a massive book with a life time of reading in it, pretty amazing, but hefty, I read bits then need a break, makes my head spin, but it’s life changing.

I’ve only read The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet so far; LOVE David Mitchell and thought it was fab. I’d be interested to read The Long Song, I really enjoyed Small Island, and I’ve heard good things about this one.

I’ve just finished re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird, as I’m going to be studying it with my dd13. Invested in the audio version, and ordered the DVD too!
I’ve got a huge pile of books waiting to be read next to my bed, and have to get cracking on reading Anne of Green Gables to my younger two for their book group.

I’ve just got Room, it looks a really interesting subject but has the potential to be quite harrowing. I’m just about to finish Life with the Lid Off, which is a autobiography, not something I would usually go for but it’s made me laugh out loud so quite different from the one I’m about to start.

We also have Anne of Green Gables to get going on for book group!!

Oh and I’ve had a go at The Great Cosmic Mother, I had it from the library for months but never really managed all of it

I haven’t read anything off this list yet, and immediately reserved The Long Song from my library. So that can go on the huge pile next to my bed…

I’ve just finished Alice Hoffman’s The Story Sisters. That was fantastic and I can really recommend it! Some reviewer had said about it: ‘Little Women on mushrooms’ and that’s quite apt.

Thanks for this list. Often when I go to the library, it’s hard to find anything, as it’s quite small and after several years I’ve read most of the books that immediately catch my eye. So I like to pointed in the direction of something new.

Love,
SunshineXX

Oh my goodness!!! Go and read ‘Room’. Get the book, send the children exploring in the garden, turn everything off and read it in one sitting! I cried buckets but mostly I was totally awestruck by this woman’s strength. The book is written in the 5 year old boys perspective, the parts about him breastfeeding and how he feels about it are magical.

The subject matter is grim but if you can get past that it’s totally inspiring too.

Best book I’ve read in a long time