The Promise | Damon Galgut (2021) Lately I have been struggling with the how, what, when, where and why of blogging. Some minor health issues have been impacting everyday life, work is exhausting me and I never seem to have enough time. But I am still reading! So that's a bright spot. Trying to pull … Continue reading The Promise | Damon Galgut #BookerPrize
Tag: Booker Prize Winner
Bring Up the Bodies | Hilary Mantel #Readalong
His children are falling from the sky. Part of my desire in (re)reading Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies was to refresh my memory, so that I could have it all front of mind for my very first reading of The Mirror and the Light. As I started BUTB, I realised that Mantel helps … Continue reading Bring Up the Bodies | Hilary Mantel #Readalong
Wolf Hall | Hilary Mantel
Right from page one, it is obvious to see (as I (re)read), that Mantel is setting up the story to show Cromwell in a favourable and sympathetic light. The first chapter of Wolf Hall graphically, and unforgettably, describes a young Thomas Cromwell being severely beaten by his father, Walter. This is not a one-off event … Continue reading Wolf Hall | Hilary Mantel
Girl, Woman, Other | Bernardine Evaristo #BookerWinner
I'm still trying to catch up on posts leftover from my magnificent Christmas reading binge. Girl, Woman, Other: A Novel by Bernardine Evaristo is the final one. It is certainly not the least though. In fact, it very nearly overtook The Yield as my favourite book for 2019. What stopped it from doing so? Mostly … Continue reading Girl, Woman, Other | Bernardine Evaristo #BookerWinner
The Testaments | Margaret Atwood
My work has been a bit crazy this year. And during August and September it was hectic and full of changes. So a lot of the hype surrounding the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale passed me by. I saw some excited chattering on blogs, twitter and goodreads. I heard some of the discussion around it's … Continue reading The Testaments | Margaret Atwood
Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
I was feeling a little cautious about reading Lincoln in the Bardo. Anytime I had heard someone talk about the book, they would mention the ghosts, the many, many voices and the grief. It sounded like it might be hard work or a bit too clever for its own good. Fortunately, though, a reading copy … Continue reading Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders
The Gathering | Anne Enright
As regular readers of my blog already know, I read fairly widely and ecclectically. But, my default position is historical stuff (fiction, non-fiction, bio) and I do love a good character piece. I love getting under their skin; I love walking around in their shoes. I don't necessarily have to like them, but I do … Continue reading The Gathering | Anne Enright
The Luminaries | Eleanor Catton
The twelve men congregated in the smoking room of the Crown Hotel gave the impression of a party accidentally met. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton won the Booker Prize in 2013. Which means that I can tick this book off my Eclectic Reader Challenge - Award Winning category. It's also a chunkster, fits the historical … Continue reading The Luminaries | Eleanor Catton
(Wo)Man Booker 2012
I was delighted to wake up this morning to the news that Hilary Mantel was the winner of the 2012 Man Booker Prize for Bring Up the Bodies. There has been a lot of media speculation over the past week or so with most commentors agreeing that they (the Man Booker Prize people) rarely give out a … Continue reading (Wo)Man Booker 2012