I love these videos where you share points that resonated with you! I love this book and also had to take space out to research things such as the red bloom on the Atlantic and the Michael Collins photo. Now you have got me thinking- maybe Harvey wants you to take space just like the setting! Great video❤
Great selection of books 📚❤ if only there was a way to buy the time to read them all too 😅 thank you for sharing and for highlighting the independent bookshops - so important. I'm off to Chapters in Dublin today and will be adding a few of these to my list 😊 Really looking forward to the women's prize bookclub next month 🎉
The Grief Nurse sounds very interesting! I enjoyed Rivers in the Sky (the writing is stunning). What other books of hers did you like? I am wanting to read more of hers! I’ve also been meaning to read The Goldfinch, I feel like I’m very behind on that one.
Last Night at the Lobster is a great short novel that is perfect to read around the holidays. I think I need to get my hands on a copy of Mr. Chartwell. It sounds just like my kind of thing.
I live in Whitley Bay. I agree, the staff in the Bound are wonderful. Hope you had a lovely time in the area. I also came up here for university and never left. It's a wonderful place.
How lovely to hear about the wonderful bookshop in Whitley Bay! I grew up just a couple of miles further up the coast! I must visit the shop after your recommendation!
Enjoyable video, as always. I like your shout-out to the book translator. 😊 I have a BA in translation (although I'm not working in that field anymore), and I did pick that field because I had dreams of translating books and movies...
Those sound like great books to read. I'm quite interested in "The Goldfinch" too. Will we be able to tune into your Women's Prize interviews? or are they only for UK eyes? or only in person? I'm currently reading, four books but I'm only going to mention: "The Collected Stories of Colette." OMG, Louise. If you haven't read it or haven't read it in the last decade, I strongly urge you to buy a copy (probably used) and keep it by your breakfast nook or bedside table. I read two-three stories each day. They are only 2-5 pages long so this is a very short commitment of time. But most of the stories are INCREDIBLE. She is so deft with metaphor and description. They seem like stories about moments in lives (which they are) but they are also commentaries on life, with a slight snarkiness. Really, I think if I could click my heels together and write like any other writer, I would probably pick Colette. If you do have a copy, at least re-read "If I had a Daughter..." marjorieapple.substack.com
Love Jesmyn Ward & have read Let Us Descend; Sing , Unburied, Sing; and Salvage The Bones, the latter being my favorite. Super excited for Rivers In The Sky and look forward to hearing your feedback, as I probably won’t get to it for awhile. 📚🪱💚
I really liked Mr. chartwell. It’s really about depression, which Churchill suffered from and which he called his “black dog.” The author’s understanding of depression is very perceptive.
Stewart O'Nan is a favorite of mine and Last Night at the Lobster is a good one. I read Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto last year and it knocked me down in the best way. A wonderful book.
The Goldfinch! One of my publishing colleagues is a huge fan (created a Facebook group for chatting about it) and it is the only Donna Tart I’ve read so far. 😉
Such wonderful recommendations- I'm looking forward to reading There are Rivers in the Sky, and really want to read Kitchen and many others. I'm currently reading The Gallows Pole after your recommendation, and Cuddy being one of my favourite books this year 😊
I'm enjoying Mary and Mr. Eliot, Sort of a Love Story about Mary Trevelyan and T. S. Eliot, loving the novel Babel. Your reads sound great, I look forward to the reviews.I enjoyed Parinisi and Jonathan Strange and Mr.Norvell (or something close to that) and the Goldfinch.
Family Lore was a really good book. I have got 2 Catherine Chidgey books I need to read. I think I will love her when I get to her. I am on a book buying ban at the moment as I want to buy all the Women’s Prize books next year.
I read Kitchen a few month ago now. Really intrigued to hear your thoughts. Haven’t seen that cover too much either. I’ve got the pink one (and I agree that the cover is so important when it comes to actually wanting to pick up the book in the first place - and to start reading it before all the other ones) 😅 I’ve been like you in avoiding too much info about There are rivers in the sky. I’m sure it’s beautiful. Hope you enjoy your time with them all - and hosting the book club 🌹🙌
All bets are on that you’ll love “There are Rivers in the Sky.” I’d put money on it.💰Kay Wilson’s “The Stand-Up Mam” sounds like fun. I hope it shows up in my library.
Just finished listening to Orbital in the wee hours. What a stunning achievement. I was absolutely blown away. Read beautifully and simply by Sarah Naudi. I feel like this was the best way to consume this book for me. Much like Susannah Clarke’s Piranesi before it, I don’t think I would have appreciated it nearly as much on the page. I loved this book!
I LOVE this book! I only heard about it via Simon’s channel and now it’s one of my favourite books ever! I get quite emotional about how much I love it. Thank you to Simon again! ❤🎉
I don't have the metal to do that, and I think it would be hard for any of my fellow sojourners. Not pleasant, does anyone have an anti-anxiety medication on them?😅
I am enjoying those dual commentaries on the Booker Prize shortlist books. Looks like you both got a lot of enjoyment out of that particular one! 😄 I just finished First Lie Wins (Ashley Elston) yesterday and it was just okay for me. I'm a third into Razorblade Tears and I can already tell I'm going to enjoy this one much better. I was tearing up by page 7 and doing the full ugly cry by page 23, so I knew I was in for a ride! The writing is very impactful. Just curious, are you guys finding time to keep up with your monthly prompts reads on top of all of those Booker books as well?
Orbital really did not work for me the first time I read it although it did improve on a reread, when perhaps I had better expectations for it. But it’s not my preferred way of storytelling and in the lower half of what I think is a strong shortlist
Soooooo pleased that you enjoyed this book too. I think she does some really incredible things with this book, especially how beautiful she makes the technical as well as the great expanse of space and earth in all its wonder, the good and the bad. Have you read The Western Wind, another of her fabulous books. I feel like I have wanted on about that to you too.
The combo of science, beautiful writing, and the meditative perspective make for a lovely read. Seems like Harvey must have done a great deal of research in order to write this novel. Such respect for Harvey’s process! Loving these videos! Very much finding myself looking forward to them. This is a wonderful book, but it’s not my favorite from the shortlist.❤❤❤
One of my favorite from the Booker list and one my 3 possible picks for the winner. I think one could re read Orbital many times and take away something different each time, which is that I think the Booker judges look for, maybe 🤷🏻♀️
