The Mookse and the Gripes discussion

Since it has been requested, here is a thread for speculation about this year's prize

Here is the list of books eligible that is compiled every year on Goodreads.

Last year this worked as a very good way to pre-read the longlist before it was even published.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

I can tell you right now. Sing, Unburied, Sing will be on there.

The jury consists of a philosopher, graphic novelist, a journalist/critic, a crime writer and an author whose specialty is feminism. Sing, Unburied, Sing - has elements that may appeal to all these professions/disciplines etc

Yes that does feel very likely. Looking forward to the review on your blog. Lullaby for the MBI as well?

I wouldn't be surprised. Since it won the prix goncourt and the themes are quite topical plus it is quirky. The translation feels just a teensy bit clunky though.

Gumble's Yard wrote: "Here is the list of books eligible that is compiled every year on Goodreads.

Last year this worked as a very good way to pre-read the longlist before it was even published.

https://www.goodreads...."

As instigator of this year's list, a friendly reminder to follow the guidelines as to what is eligible - no short story collections, no novels originally in another language (that's what the MBI is for!), and nothing that wasn't published in the UK between the cut-off dates. Also, we have been having a problem with people adding different editions of books already ON the list ... so check carefully before adding something. :-)

But don't forget to add all the new eligible books from Irish publishers

The Booker Eligible list is great and I check it regularly and have already chosen several from the list to add to my TBR pile. But the list can become very long as the year progresses and it would be impossible for me to read all the eligible books (nor would I want to.) Other than authors I will read regardless, it can become a 'pick and choose' with varying results. I still like it when people mention those standouts that they have read since I feel I can trust the opinions of the readers here (there are also certain readers whose tastes usually align with my own).

Paul. Any thoughts on what Irish books might be prize worthy. There seems a lot of excitement on Twitter about the announcement, but I am unclear if there are any strong contenders suddenly eligible. Or is the excitement more for future years and Irish press a bit having to sell on their best books.

This list is very exciting! There are number of books by favorite writers or writers I want to read again. I don't know how I missed the announcement of a few of these. The book section is alway my first stop in any publication or web site. Louis de Bernieres, Andrew Miller, Julian Barnes, Ottessa Moshfegh, Peter Carey, Patrick DeWitt....I really need to quit working so I can catch up on all this reading.
I won Mrs Osmond in a drawing I vaguely remember entering. I should read that soon.

I see why I missed them, quite a few have not been released. I forgot this is a group who's opinions are valued and sought out by publishers!

Gumble's Yard wrote: "Paul. Any thoughts on what Irish books might be prize worthy. There seems a lot of excitement on Twitter about the announcement, but I am unclear if there are any strong contenders suddenly eligibl..."

No - as [er WndyJWs point, they probably haven't been published yet. The obvious publisher to watch is Tramp Press. Stinging Fly mainly focus on short stories (and can't say I cared much for their main recent book Levitation by O'Reilly).

Brandon Press's [book:The Woodcutter and his Family|35962526] seems to have been published two weeks too early! One odd effect of the new rules is to disqualify some books that were published in Ireland last year and now, even if republished in UK this, would not, I think, qualify.

Main effect though is that it reduces need for Irish publishers to pass on the UK rights and - if a book is longlisted - largely miss out on the sales. Solar Bones, the Baume novels (all Tramp) and, for Stinging Fly, Pond were past examples.

see a list here of Irish publishers https://www.writing.ie/resources/iris...

Gumble's Yard wrote: "Here is the list of books eligible that is compiled every year on Goodreads.

Last year this worked as a very good way to pre-read the longlist before it was even published.

https://www.goodreads...."

Thanks - that must be why I thought I had already seen a speculation thread! I must have seen it before because I voted on it the first time.

Robert wrote: "I can tell you right now. Sing, Unburied, Sing will be on there.

The jury consists of a philosopher, graphic novelist, a journalist/critic, a crime writer and an author whose specialty is feminism..."

Yes, but it's also not very good.

MisterHobgoblin wrote: "Robert wrote: "I can tell you right now. Sing, Unburied, Sing will be on there.

The jury consists of a philosopher, graphic novelist, a journalist/critic, a crime writer and an author whose specia..."

Ahh differences of opinion - I liked it a lot. :)

Debra wrote: "Are these simply books that are eligible ... as opposed to books posters think might actually make the list?"

Any book that fulfills the parameters set out by the rules & regulations CAN be added to the list - and therefore some that haven't a chance in H-E-Double Hockey Sticks of being nominated wind up there, since anyone is free to add. However, those with the most points reflect the ones more people THINK will actually make it, so perhaps those are more valuable as a guide. In last year's list, 12 of the 13 eventual longlist nominees were in the top 20.

I am seeing a lot of positive comment on Sight by Jessie Greengrass including one blogger (The Lonesome Reader) who has called it as the 2018 Booker winner, and the one negative review on GR compares is to Cusk and Riley which counts as a strong recommendation to me.

Looks like the prize may be wide open this year.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/amp.time...

Paul wrote: "I am seeing a lot of positive comment on Sight by Jessie Greengrass including one blogger (The Lonesome Reader) who has called it as the 2018 Booker winner, and the one negative review on GR compar..."

Extremely positive Guardian review just showed up in my Twitter feed this morning.

I saw a review this week of The Necessary Angel by CK Stead. If the judging panel likes books about literature this looks like it could be a contender. Given we also have three past winners from the region writing new novels this year, I wonder if we might see an Antipodean revival - the region has really suffered the last few years.

Patrick wrote: "Paul wrote: "I am seeing a lot of positive comment on Sight by Jessie Greengrass including one blogger (The Lonesome Reader) who has called it as the 2018 Booker winner, and the one negative review..."
After just finishing it, I can only say: This has already been a good book year for me.

Have we suffered ? I was not aware ;)

I also think there's a considerable chance that Sing, Unburied, Sing will be on there, although I don't quite get where all the enthusiasm for this book comes from (it's not a bad book, but I also don't think it's a particularly strong - I agree with MisterHobgoblin on that).

I would love to see First Person on the list - I really enjoyed reading it and I think we would have a lot of fun dissecting this story in our discussion. The novel is also very topical and current.

The same is true for Country Dark, although it is more of an underdog candidate.

I would be surprised to see Manhattan Beach on the longlist, it's not very topical and while not bad, it was also not breathtakingly good and quite conventional.

Based on your reviews, I hope that the longlist will give me one more incentive to read The Overstory, Red Clocks and/ or The Female Persuasion - in fact I think that the inclusion of one of the last two is quite probable.

I am completely with you on Sing, Unburied, Sing and Manhattan Beach.

I really enjoyed Manhattan Beach, but I don’t see it as a long list book.

I dunno about meg wolitzer. Her books are good but light. How about the new bernard maclaverty? Or was it mentioned before?

Midwinter Break was eligible and inexplicably overlooked for last year's prize.

Midwinter Break was very good. It was in my top ten last year.

I am also curious whether Winter really won't be on there - my head knows that Smith was 100% serious when she said she doesn't intend to have it handed in, but my heart refuses to accept it! :-)

If I recall correctly, there is some rule that publishers can submit a previously nominated/winning author without it counting as one of their two 'formal' submissions. Although I can't see Smith's publisher doing so without her consent, they MIGHT be able to persuade her it would spur additional sales. Regardless, I can see why she would choose not to submit, having been overlooked for the big prize so many times.

I too thought Midwinter Break should have been nominated last year - it was in my top five.

Doug wrote: "If I recall correctly, there is some rule that publishers can submit a previously nominated/winning author without it counting as one of their two 'formal' submissions. Although I can't see Smith's..."

That rule exists yes - although it does require the book to be submitted (it is not automatically entered as sometimes is assumed) and part of the condition of entry is the publisher will secure the author's cooperation for publicity. So if she really does mean it, then I doubt it will be there.

I didn't like Jessie Greengrass's Sight at all. But David Park's Travelling in a Strange Land covers similar territory in a far superior way. I could hope to see David Park on a Booker list - his absence from lists past is a grave injustice IMO.

MisterHobgoblin wrote: "I didn't like Jessie Greengrass's Sight at all. But David Park's Travelling in a Strange Land covers similar territory in a far superior way. I could hope to see David Park on a Booker list - his a..."

I've got mixed reactions with Sight - it's rather a book I admire more than anything else - same feelings I get when I read Sebald or Cusk

WndyJW wrote: "Midwinter Break was very good. It was in my top ten last year."

Midwinter Break is currently on the longlist for the 2018 Wellcome Prize, which is one of my favourite prizes as it includes both fiction and non-fiction.

Sing Unburied Sing, Manhattan beach and Sight all on the Women's Prize list as well as 3 from the 2017 Booker. No Winter which may suggest it wasn't entered

It would be inexplicable to exclude it if it had been.

Was Autumn not omitted last year?

Okay, I'll try to start my official prediction list:

1. When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife
2. First Person
3. The Overstory
4. Country Dark
5. Red Clocks
6. The Heart's Invisible Furies

tbc

Meike wrote: "Okay, I'll try to start my official prediction list:

1. When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife
2. First Person
3. [book:The Overstory|35187203..."

Great list, although I believe both #1 and # 6 were published PRIOR to the eligibility dates for 2018. If you haven't already, you can vote for the others here: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Freshwater is my most interesting read of books released in 2018. I'm not sure if the Man Booker longlist would be the place, but I would like to see garnish some attention.

Hmmm still a little early but I'll give it a go. I'm trying to keep the judges professions in mind as over the years I have noticed that choices of books reflect the jobs of the judges: Philosopher, Crime Writer, Cultural Critic, Feminist writer and artist.

Circe

Red Clocks

Census

Sing, Unburied, Sing

As A God Might Be

Gnomon

I barely read crime, let alone on a literary level ( what I mean by that is you won't find genre writers like Tana French, Paula Hawkins, Gillian Flynn etc on the Booker, I've never read Val McDermid so I don't know if her books fall into that category)

Doug wrote: "Meike wrote: "Okay, I'll try to start my official prediction list:

1. When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife
2. First Person
3. [book:The Over..."

Menno....freakin' rules!

Robert wrote: "Hmmm still a little early but I'll give it a go. I'm trying to keep the judges professions in mind as over the years I have noticed that choices of books reflect the jobs of the judges: Philosopher..."

No. They dont.

My thoughts out of what I have read so far. In no particular order.

The Sparsholt Affair by Alan Hollinghurst

The Only Story by Julian Barnes

The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas

Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

The Melody by Jim Crace

Happiness by Aminatta Forna

The Trick to Time by Kit de Waal

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

The Overstory by Richard Powers

Country Dark by Chris Offutt



Dark Possibliity: The Cage by Lloyd Jones

I have now read two of the candidates: Happiness and As A God Might Be. Of the two, Forna impressed me more but I would not be disappointed to see either on the longlist.

I have read The Only Story by Julian Barnes. I was very impressed with it.

More of a lurker than a poster, but just wanted say that I just finished Country Dark based on this thread and thought it was fantastic. Never would have hit my radar.

Nicole D. wrote: "More of a lurker than a poster, but just wanted say that I just finished Country Dark based on this thread and thought it was fantastic. Never would have hit my radar."

YESSSS! So happy to hear that, Nicole!!

Just finished The Shepherd’s Hut by Tim Winton. Utterly raw but deeply impressive.

The Shepherd’s Hut is one I keep meaning to buy but then I pick it up and see the price tag...

Sarah Perry's rave review of Painter to the King by Amy Sackville, which was already on my radar thanks to her first novel The Still Point

https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...