The Man Booker 2014 Readalong discussion

Hi - I am planning to try to read all of the books, so count me in.

Me too

I'm in!

Me too

Here we go, then. I have already read Satin Island (I gave it 5 stars). Tonight, I will start The Green Road.

I've read The Green Road which I gave three stars, and have just started The Moor's Account. Thrilled to see Yanagihara on the list. The People in the Trees was the best book I read last year, so I hope A Little Life is equally brilliant.

We cannot buy The Moor's Account in UK yet. On Amazon, it is available for pre-order but with no date for release. We also cannot buy "Did You Ever Have A Family?" until 17 September. So that means one read and two not available: ten to get reading!

Amazon is telling me the 3 September for Moor's Account

Yes, I want to participate. I am reading "The Wolf Border" now, which unfortunately did not make the cut. But, I ordered five books in the long list from Amazon today, so I should be reading long list books soon!

I had some Amazon gift vouchers waiting to be used, so I bought 10 of the long list books today! I already had one and the other 2 aren't available yet. So, my Kindle is well stocked for the next few weeks of reading now.

I've read The Fishermen a week ago will review tmrw most probably:

I've read The Fishermen a week ago will review tmrw most probably:

It seems the Kindle version of The Moor's Account has been rushed out in UK now that it is on the long list! It suddenly became available this morning. So I bought it.

As I would enjoy participating this year, the books I want to read, Satin Island, A Little Life, The Illuminations and Sleeping on Jupiter, are either on a long waiting list or not available through my local library. Because they are all still currently in hardback (which I simply don't buy), I'll have to get on the waiting list or wait until January 2016 when most of them are released in paperback (unless of course they make the short list or win, then in that case the paperback release will surely be pushed back). Still, those are the ones I intend to read from the list.

Neil, thanks for letting me now about the release of Moor's Account. just brought myself a copy.

I've finished The Green Road now. I enjoyed it but didn't think it was spectacular. Satin Road was way better for me, which is the only other one I have read so far. A Brief History of Seven Killings is next: I may be some time.

My video review of the fishermen, if anybody's interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN47P...,

I think the next one I'll pick up will be The brief history of seven killings. Was meaning to read that regardless of ManBooker, so it's on my shelf for a few weeks already. Anybody has read it already?

reading Moor`s Account really interesting and thought provoking work

Samantha wrote: "Hi all,

With the longlist being announced tomorrow (29th July) who would be interested in a 2015 Readalong?"

I'm in! I had already read two of the nominees before this list was announced (A Little Life and A Spool of Blue Thread)and since the list came out I've also read The Green Road. All three are good reads, though I have a very definite favorite. I plan to read the rest, at least if I can get hold of all of them. A few are not yet available in the U.S. though I can always have them sent from the UK.

It's possible that for the one being released in September, if it doesn't also make the shortlist being announced around the same time, I might not follow through…

I've finished A Brief History of Seven Killings now. One thing it isn't is brief - it took me a week to read! An absorbing read, though, but not for the faint-hearted (quite a lot of violence and sex and the language puts The Wire to shame!). Excellent book, I think.

I have just finished Chimes. I really loved it. it had; poetic language, evocative descriptions, wonderful ideas and inspired really interesting questions.

I also read Moor's Account. I really liked the first half. it explored some really interesting ideas. such as; identity, colonialism, responsibility, and culpability. But, the second half turned into a boring survival narrative that I've seen many times before.

I started reading "A Little Life" this morning. So far, so good. This will not be a quick read. Neil noted that "A Brief History of Seven Killings" is not brief. I will add that at 720 pages, "A Little Life" is not little.

I am definitely in! Have read 7 of the 13, so this year I might get through the 13 before the short list comes out. I have read and reviewed A Little Life and Satin Island ...
A Brief History of Seven Killings is discouraging me by both its length and graphic violence....

Neil wrote: "I've finished A Brief History of Seven Killings now. One thing it isn't is brief - it took me a week to read! An absorbing read, though, but not for the faint-hearted (quite a lot of violence and s..."

I will try to stay with it, but the graphic violence is hard to stomach...

Denise wrote: "Samantha wrote: "Hi all,

With the longlist being announced tomorrow (29th July) who would be interested in a 2015 Readalong?"

I'm in! I had already read two of the nominees before this list was a..."
I think, unlike last years, this might be possible for those of us in the US... It looks like the Clegg book is coming out on September 8... so if the short list isn't published until the 15th, it may work!

Neil wrote: "We cannot buy The Moor's Account in UK yet. On Amazon, it is available for pre-order but with no date for release. We also cannot buy "Did You Ever Have A Family?" until 17 September. So that means..."
Ah... that was the situation that I was in last year... this year, US readers might have a chance

Neil wrote: "It seems the Kindle version of The Moor's Account has been rushed out in UK now that it is on the long list! It suddenly became available this morning. So I bought it."
Nice!

The kindle version of Did You Ever Have a Family suddenly has a date 3 weeks earlier than it used to have now that it is on the long list!

Question. Lila appears to be the third book in a trilogy: do I need to read the first two in order to make sense of it or does it stand on its own and I could go back to the other two if I like it?

Neil, this is what amazon and the times say; Although Lila revisits the characters of Robinson's previous books, Gilead, a Pulitzer prizewinner, and Home, a finalist in the American National Book Awards, and brings a certain completeness to their journeys, the book stands well on its own as a powerful search for the meaning of life as well as a touching and unlikely story of love and, ultimately, hope ( The Times) 

Neil: There is an entire Goodreads thread on this topic with readers giving both views.

I read Gilead earlier this summer in anticipation that Lila would make the long list. I had heard somewhere (but I forget where) that you should read Gilead, but not necessarily Home, before reading Lila. Right now I am leaning towards also reading Home before Lila.

Lee Ann

Neil wrote: "Question. Lila appears to be the third book in a trilogy: do I need to read the first two in order to make sense of it or does it stand on its own and I could go back to the other two if I like it?"

I know people who read Lila and loved it, without reading Gilead or Home before. One of my friends even read Lila before Gilead. I haven't read Lila yet, but I've read Gilead and I think the two stories are complementary so I'd recommend reading both, in the order you like.

just finished stainless world. A unique book. I really liked it. but, I can tell why many people wouldn't. in fact, it epitomises the very thing that those people who don't like lit fic say they don't like about lit fic. it's just one man thinking. Nothing happens. But, I really like this book. Not sure how to review it though.

I have just finished The Moor's Account. Really enjoyed the first half with the alternating chapters between different timelines. Less enthralled by the second half, although I did spend some time wondering if the sequence of tribes was telling me something. Overall, it was ok but not great for me.

I may have to revise my view of The Moor's Account. I have discovered that it has lodged in my brain and won't go away. This makes me think it is almost certainly a better book than I gave it credit for!

I have now finished The Fishermen. For me, a book of two halves. The first half was OK and I could sense it was heading somewhere. Then comes the main dramatic event and the focus shifts to two specific characters. This was the half of the book I thought was excellent. A very sad story but excellently told.

I'm sorry, but I seem to be taking over this discussion! Four posts in a row! But, I've just finished The Illuminations. After a weak start, I think it got stronger as it progressed and I ended up enjoying it and feeling glad I kept going rather than putting it down. Interesting comparison of dementia (can't remember things) with post-traumatic stress (can't forget things).

I just finished "A Little Life' - my first of the 2015 long list books. Very good book. I gave it a four and may well move it up to a five as a I reflect upon the book. In some ways, the story reminds me of the movie "St. Elmo's Fire" and Mary McCarthy's novel "The Group." It follows the friendships, relationships, careers, struggles, demons and some good times of four men from college into their 50s. Although I suspect it could have been edited down from 720 pages without losing its character, the book is well-written and is not a difficult read.

I just finished Lila. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I was going to: I think I felt something for Lila right from page one and maintained that connection all the way through. Some beautiful writing - very atmospheric.

I have finished Lila and The Green Road. Both are very good and well-written books. I preferred The Green Road though - it was somehow easier to read, perhaps because I found the storyline of an overcontrolling and possessive matriarch so compelling and true to life. Starting The Fishermen, but have a strong feeling that at the end of the list I will be terribly depressed :) All the books in the list seem quite heavy and intense..

Yulia, you are right. I am on book number 8 of the list at the moment and I haven't had much to laugh about yet! I am also starting to think that I have read quite a few books that I would consider a lot better than those on the list. The Buried Giant, The Book of Strange New Things and 10:04 spring to mind.

Just finished Sleeping On Jupiter. The structure reminded me of the film Magnolia: both have several story lines developing and those stories cross paths several times. Nomi is the most obvious choice for central character, but I think there are other candidates, too.

Hi all, just joined. ...I read the Shortlist in 2013, and last year got through the entire Longlist, but not before the Shortlist got published. I'm now finishing my 6th book on this year's and hope to make it before Sept. 15. Have already read: A Little Life, The Illuminations, The Moor's Account, Satin Island, The Fishermen, and finishing up The Green Road. Have enjoyed them all in their own way; my individual reviews, if anyone is interested, are published under each title, so won't repeat them here. And if anyone wants to 'friend' me, that would be great also! Cheers!

Just put up my review of The Green Road. It was ok but it was lacking some real emotion. Disjointed and hard to understand why some characters behaved the way they did. I'd be really surprised if it makes the shortlist. Surely won't be reading all of the longest but this are the books I'm interested in: The Fishermen, A Brief History of Seven Killings, Sleeping on Jupiter (which I'm reading at the moment), The Year of the Runaways,The Moor's Account, Did you Ever Have a Family, and A Little Life.

I finished The Green Road earlier this morning and gave it a 3, because I couldn't give it a 3.5 and didn't feel it deserved a 4. I think this book would have been a 4 had the characters been developed a little bit more. (I know I felt that A Little Life may have been a little long, but maybe part of why I liked it so much was the character development that took up all those pages.) Even though it was 300 pages long, this book was a fairly quick read, so adding more for each character would not make the book a tome. It's still a good book, and I would like to also read The Gathering.

Just joining in, but I've been working through the Longlist with a friend. Have read "Illuminations," "Satin Island," "The Moor's Account," "Fishermen," "The Green Road," and "Lila." I'm halfway through "Seven Killings" and just started a "Little Life" (I like to read two books at once, one electronically and one in paper copy). So far, my favorite is "Fishermen," which I guess is unusual based on the above comments. I thought it was a great capture of sibling relationships. Also liked "Lila" a lot. "Satin Island" was my least favorite. On the whole I thought most of these have been pretty well-written. Agree with previous comments though - no happy reads here, and why wasn't Buried Giant nominated? Finally, wanted to note for those of you who haven't calculated yet: Total Pages to the Longlist = 4,881!

Also, guessing a lot of you are reading from the UK. I'm in NYC and the only one that won't be available in time over here is "the Chimes," I think. Better than last year, at least. I seem to remember not being able to get half the list.

Last year was horrible in terms of getting books in the U.S. I wound up ordering The Chimes from Amazon UK.

Shari wrote: "Last year was horrible in terms of getting books in the U.S. I wound up ordering The Chimes from Amazon UK."

Yes, I also ordered books from AmazonUK last year in order to get them sooner.

Had to order 3 from the UK last year, and 3 again this year! (Sleeping on Jupiter, The Chimes and The Year of the Runaways)