I've decided to actively ignore the book prizes from now on, as I don't like how they get in my head and influence my book shopping and reading. I just went and bought some new books and really enjoyed just perusing the shelves, selecting books because of their cover art or eye-catching titles, and deciding to buy or not buy based on how gripping they were for me after I read the first few pages. It was so gratifying to get back to that, rather than let book award judges' opinions (which, at the end of the day are no more or less informed than yours or mine) color my experience.
Fun experiment! You should do your own alternative Booker every year. Also, as you indicate, for the Booker, it's probably not the novels released in any year, but just the judges trying a bit too hard to be 'hip/cool' in their choices and ending up with a list that is completely 'uncool'.
Loved this! It did, however, make me remember the Guardian's Not the Booker Prize and realise that died during the pandemic and hasn't been brought back after it. Ah well, the mantle clearly passes on to you...
small rain also deals with the experience of being a patient. turning over power, privacy, the personal impersonal of staff and how it can be okay even with chronic conditions
Fun use of AI. A few new authors to me. Several books I’ve never heard of. I have recently picked up the Woman Behind the Door so happy to hear your thoughts about it. 😊💙
Fast by the horns is one on my shelf and as someone who knows the Bible I will likely be able to appreciate it more. And I am looking forward to reading it in the patois it is written in, and I can imagine it would make a good audiobook for people who might struggle to read it physically (I haven't listened though, so I hope they have cast it well). I'm sorry you didn't like it though! How I won a noble prize sounds like the satire and comedy that isn't for me, but I am glad it is thought provoking and I could see the booker judges loving it. Anyone's ghost is another waiting on my shelf and it being character driven grief focus makes me think i will like it.
I think you'll get more out of Fast by the Horn, I thought I knew my Bible okayish, but I know you're just more educated than me on that topic. I would however recommend his first novel An Olive Grove in Ends, as it's just a safer novel for you.
I think they should get rid of the Booker longlist -- there is always a few turds that contaminate the entire Booker dozen, and I mostly ignore the list until it get whittled down to the 6. I read Creation Lake and Orbital from the shortlist, and loved them both. I'm rooting for Orbital to win next month -- its writing is simply beautiful and attempts to answer the most profound philosophical questions that mankind has been asking.
Hello! As someone whose entire channel and reading journey is dictated by ignoring lists such as the Booker, etc, and following random reading, I very much enjoyed this concept and video and subscribe wholeheartedly to the value of randomness in reading!
That was a great idea and I’m pleased to hear that Roddy Doyle hasn’t lost his touch - I loved the Barrytown trilogy and Paddy Clark but the first Paula Spencer book was the last thing I read by him many years ago. I really must read the Great Undoing after your review of it but a quick attempt to get a copy here in the UK reveals why it would not have been on the Booker - it hasn’t been published in the UK. The only copy available is a Kindle edition from the Australian publisher. Praiseworthy, on the other hand, was submitted as it was published by a small independent publisher And Other Stories in the UK and an insider revealed that they submitted it. If a UK publisher takes it up this year it could make the Booker 2025 list🎉
I would love to see The Great Undoing be picked up by a UK publisher. Ultimo Press is trying to establish themselves in London, but I'm not sure where they're up to in that development.
Great video idea, put a couple books on my wishlist 😅 Side question: Do you usually include your star ratings in your videos? I could have sworn while listening that you previously didn't. I like when you/people mention for whom a book could be great even when you give it 2 stars yourself.
I don't usually star rate in my reviews. I rate everything I read, but I don't often share it. I was going to compare the total number of stars I gave this random list to the Booker, but I forgot about that. I'm a big believer in every book having an ideal reader.
I have a few places - the short answer is - I work in a library, it's a bit of a cheat; I do a video once every 3 months or so talking about books coming soon and I spend days researching it - I refer back to my own videos a lot. The long answer is - I stalk a few big libraries from all over the world and see what they've added recently. Then there is google, I like to search by region, I'll do searches like 2024 books from African, the Caribbean, Japan, Korea, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, Canada, India, Asia, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, South America - that takes me at least half a day when I do that. Then a lurk on reddit and a few other bookish forums, browse listopia, and spend way to much time reading about books and not reading books.
@GunpowderFictionPlot ah you do so much research. That's so cool. 🙏😭 I want to learn. I only discover books by looking at book prize eligible lists. However, since publishers often can only nominate 1-2 books, I worry about the books I never heard of that never made nomination. 😔 If there is specific strategy of learning of new books that is accessible for non-librarian, I would love to hear. 🙏😭
I've decided to actively ignore the book prizes from now on, as I don't like how they get in my head and influence my book shopping and reading. I just went and bought some new books and really enjoyed just perusing the shelves, selecting books because of their cover art or eye-catching titles, and deciding to buy or not buy based on how gripping they were for me after I read the first few pages. It was so gratifying to get back to that, rather than let book award judges' opinions (which, at the end of the day are no more or less informed than yours or mine) color my experience.
Great video, as someone that only reads one book prize (down from two) I really enjoyed this experiment. Definitely worth a repeat next year.
What great idea and an enjoyable video. I really must read more Doyle and The Great Undoing
Fun experiment! You should do your own alternative Booker every year. Also, as you indicate, for the Booker, it's probably not the novels released in any year, but just the judges trying a bit too hard to be 'hip/cool' in their choices and ending up with a list that is completely 'uncool'.
Such a fun and unique experiment! Thank you for such an inspiring video!
Loved this! It did, however, make me remember the Guardian's Not the Booker Prize and realise that died during the pandemic and hasn't been brought back after it. Ah well, the mantle clearly passes on to you...
Some of these books - I wondered why you were reading them! Should have known you had your (fantastic) reason. I love this video so much. Well done.
small rain also deals with the experience of being a patient. turning over power, privacy, the personal impersonal of staff and how it can be okay even with chronic conditions
Fun use of AI. A few new authors to me. Several books I’ve never heard of. I have recently picked up the Woman Behind the Door so happy to hear your thoughts about it. 😊💙
Fast by the horns is one on my shelf and as someone who knows the Bible I will likely be able to appreciate it more. And I am looking forward to reading it in the patois it is written in, and I can imagine it would make a good audiobook for people who might struggle to read it physically (I haven't listened though, so I hope they have cast it well). I'm sorry you didn't like it though! How I won a noble prize sounds like the satire and comedy that isn't for me, but I am glad it is thought provoking and I could see the booker judges loving it. Anyone's ghost is another waiting on my shelf and it being character driven grief focus makes me think i will like it.
I think you'll get more out of Fast by the Horn, I thought I knew my Bible okayish, but I know you're just more educated than me on that topic. I would however recommend his first novel An Olive Grove in Ends, as it's just a safer novel for you.
Roddy Doyle’s book is part of a series about Paula. It began with
The Woman Who Walked onto Doors
It was filmed by RTE
I appreciate your objectivity. Sincerely, I do.
I think they should get rid of the Booker longlist -- there is always a few turds that contaminate the entire Booker dozen, and I mostly ignore the list until it get whittled down to the 6. I read Creation Lake and Orbital from the shortlist, and loved them both. I'm rooting for Orbital to win next month -- its writing is simply beautiful and attempts to answer the most profound philosophical questions that mankind has been asking.
Hello! As someone whose entire channel and reading journey is dictated by ignoring lists such as the Booker, etc, and following random reading, I very much enjoyed this concept and video and subscribe wholeheartedly to the value of randomness in reading!
That was a great idea and I’m pleased to hear that Roddy Doyle hasn’t lost his touch - I loved the Barrytown trilogy and Paddy Clark but the first Paula Spencer book was the last thing I read by him many years ago. I really must read the Great Undoing after your review of it but a quick attempt to get a copy here in the UK reveals why it would not have been on the Booker - it hasn’t been published in the UK. The only copy available is a Kindle edition from the Australian publisher. Praiseworthy, on the other hand, was submitted as it was published by a small independent publisher And Other Stories in the UK and an insider revealed that they submitted it. If a UK publisher takes it up this year it could make the Booker 2025 list🎉
I would love to see The Great Undoing be picked up by a UK publisher. Ultimo Press is trying to establish themselves in London, but I'm not sure where they're up to in that development.
This was a brilliant idea! Great video!
What a wonderfully creative experiment! I loved Anyone's Ghost so much and I can't wait to read Small Rain!
small rain is excellent
Great video idea, put a couple books on my wishlist 😅 Side question: Do you usually include your star ratings in your videos? I could have sworn while listening that you previously didn't. I like when you/people mention for whom a book could be great even when you give it 2 stars yourself.
I don't usually star rate in my reviews. I rate everything I read, but I don't often share it. I was going to compare the total number of stars I gave this random list to the Booker, but I forgot about that.
I'm a big believer in every book having an ideal reader.
Where do you discover these books? I suck at discovering new authors :(
I have a few places - the short answer is - I work in a library, it's a bit of a cheat; I do a video once every 3 months or so talking about books coming soon and I spend days researching it - I refer back to my own videos a lot.
The long answer is - I stalk a few big libraries from all over the world and see what they've added recently. Then there is google, I like to search by region, I'll do searches like 2024 books from African, the Caribbean, Japan, Korea, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, Canada, India, Asia, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, South America - that takes me at least half a day when I do that. Then a lurk on reddit and a few other bookish forums, browse listopia, and spend way to much time reading about books and not reading books.
@GunpowderFictionPlot ah you do so much research. That's so cool. 🙏😭 I want to learn. I only discover books by looking at book prize eligible lists. However, since publishers often can only nominate 1-2 books, I worry about the books I never heard of that never made nomination. 😔 If there is specific strategy of learning of new books that is accessible for non-librarian, I would love to hear. 🙏😭
i do think of my irish ancestors as indigenous people! this was another great video..thanks scott.
I just read a Margot Livesey book, Eva Moves the Furniture which I really enjoyed. Super creative video.
I loved this book
Thank you. :)
Loved it!! Have already bought a few...
Wonderful
Interesting experiment. I look forward to your video if 'Held' wins the Booker..lol. Hoping that is not the case myself:)
Hahahaha, yes that would be disgusting.
I loved the rosd to belheavan it is totally engaging snd chsrming.
I enjoyed this book
📖 🪱 💚