I really like the way you do these videos! You've got such well-crafted pitches for each book - I love the way you talk through what stands out stylistically and emotionally about each one without rushing through them too quickly or spoiling anything. It always makes me feel like I'm browsing through a library myself. Definitely going to add some of these to my TBR! 🦊
Thank you so much for the kind comment! It can be hard sometimes to try and sum up these books in a way that properly reflects them without regurgitating the whole plot or making the videos a million hours long, but I’m so pleased to hear you like how they turn out 🫶
i did my a level coursework on home fires and think it's such a great novel! i thought i would feel 'spoiled' going in knowing it's based on antigone but i actually think i appreciate the narrative more knowing she was sticking to that arc & most cannot anticipate how the ending will play out in detail. i struggle with retellings that stick too close to their inspired work, but i feel shamsie did a great job making the plot different. it has just such great themes and i feel like she did enhance the antigone story, bringing it into the modern setting but highlighting how timeless the themes & characters are. such a deserving winner of the women's prize imo!
🦊🦊🦊🦊#Kitsune. "Freaks like me that can stomach it". There is a plethora of us. The Offing ,with a horrible cover, is at the library. Always great content.
🦊🦊 I wanted my son’s middle name to be Fox for no reason other than I love foxes. Sometimes being married and having to yield to someone else’s complete antipathy for one of your ideas really sucks. So. Going to buy Home Fires now. And still want to read Miso Soup. I think I’m going to come home from Britain with a suitcase full of Benjamin Myers books! And probably many others. The only thing longer than my list of books in the list of book stores in London and Edinburgh. Which reminds me - have you been to Rare Birds Books in Edinburgh? They only stock books written by women, which already makes it my most anticipated destination.
Home Fire is a total gem, it’s the only time my favourite book from the Women’s Prize shortlist has won! I’ll definitely grab The Offing now I’ve heard that Still Life comparison, thanks Ben ♥️🦊
🐈⬛ Wait, my ears perked up when you said someone on instagram recommended Confessions, that was me! Even funnier I just picked up The Night Alphabet as my next read, based on your recommendation. Also a big Benjamin Myers fan, looking forward to Rare Singles coming out soon.
So glad to hear you enjoyed Home Fire - it is so, so good. Completely agree about the structure of it, and I also really appreciate not knowing too much of the Greek myth beforehand. I’ll be reading The Offing next month!! 🦊 Glad it was another astonishing read by Myers! Looking forward to the Sicily and Japan vlogs (no rush though!) 😎🙌
Watched this and when you mentioned The Offing I stopped the video and went off and read it. It’s been on my shelves since I bought it following reading and loving The Perfect Golden Circle. Agree it is a 5* read. Just beautiful. The characters, the sense of place and the story telling. Loved it. Thank you. This would have languished on my shelves for ages without your mention of the book. Have listened to your review now and you do the book justice. Going to buy Cuddy now. PS. Also agree with you about Soldier Sailor which I hope wins Women’s Prize for fiction tomorrow. Keep up with the videos. Much appreciated.
The Offing is such a beautiful little read isn't it! So glad you enjoyed it too. Myers just has such a way with his characters and his descriptions. I can't get enough. Shame about Soldier Sailor in the end but it was an excellent shortlist and Brotherless Night would have been my next choice. A very worthy winner!
Hello from Edinburgh, I bought and have just finished The Offing on your recommendation - my first Benjamin Myers - and adored everything about it. I will be heading to my local bookshop to treat myself to more of his books ASAP. Many thanks 😊
Great reviews Ben! These books sound really interesting and I’ve added many to my ever expanding TBR 😊 Looking forward to your video of Japan! And Sicily if you get to it! ❤
🦊 🐈 Leaving both because I noticed the fox but the cat on your shirt stood out more. Didn’t see you as a cat guy. I put Confessions on my Wish list. Sounds fascinating. I have had The Offing for quite a while and haven’t read it. This might be the push I need. Same is true of Home Fire. I very much want to pull it out this summer after your review.
The italicized dialog box you mentioned from 'Mongrel' is often done in Urban Fiction. Curious if it's crossing into other genres. Great reviews...thanks!
Thanks so much for watching 🙏 And that’s interesting - haven’t read too much urban fiction (does Who They Was fall into that genre?) but Mongrel feels quite far from it!
I absolutely loved Home Fire, but when recommending it to people, I am always a bit torn as to whether to describe it as a brilliant retelling of [that Greek myth], set in the context of modern day Britain and its politics with Islam. While it's a compelling selling point, I also feel that maybe it risks being a spoiler, even though all the PR for this book hasn't shied away from the connection.
I’m with you! I’m glad I didn’t know, or rather forgot, because it works so well as a straight contemporary novel. There’s maybe a bit of magic in finding out the retelling aspect after you’ve read it.
You may have just introduced me to a new favorite writer. Based on your rave, I ordered The Offing and have long been intrigued by CUDDY (again, thanks to you). What is frustrating is that a good friend works for Bloomsbury New York-and had never heard of him! Seems his books would do well here-if they were widely available and publicized. Oh well, that's where you come in....
My reading in May was very relaxed. I’d read so much for the Women’s Prize so I spent May reading romance. Best book was The Mars House by Natasha Pulley
I hear you - all the prize reading can be exhausting! Hard to believe Booker season is just around the corner. The Mars House was on my longlist of Women’s Prize contenders 😅
I wanted to come back and thank you for your positive review of Tom Lake. I don't read a lot of lit fic, but I do try to read some, and originally I thought I'd give that book a try. When a lot of so-so reviews came out I decided not to bother. Only after hearing you talk about it did I decide to read it after all. I got recently got a copy through my library - and I loved it! It built slowly for me, but I found myself thinking so much about the themes I couldn't wait to pick it up and read more. It turned out to be a truly thoughtful book that I look forward to revisiting in a couple of years. Thanks again for putting your thoughts out there. I would have missed it without you.
I'm so happy I found your channel! We have similar taste in books, and after a bit of a binge on your content, I have a big list of books to purchase! Thank you
🦊 I assume it’s strictly male readers who claim Ryu is the superior Murakami. I read one book of his short stories (back in 2016) and pegged him for a creepy misogynist. If you have a chance check out my review of Tokyo Decadence on Goodreads for the full report. Always enjoy your content. Take care.
🐐no fox on this ancient tablet so have a goat! Really interested to get to The Offing - I adored Cuddy but have put off more Myers for a bit because I heard that all his books were so different, I wasn't sure where to head to next!
I’ll take a goat 😂 The Offing is definitely quite different from Cuddy on the whole, but I think has the same heart and solid contemporary writing as Book 4 in Cuddy.
I read Still Life at the start of this year after hearing your high praise and loved it. And, since then, I've convinced a friend to read Still Life too, and he loved it as well. So, I've added The Offing to my TBR list. When I'll get to it is another matter. My TBR list now numbers 597 entries.🦊
🦊 The book I read for May-gical realism (Homegoing by Yaa Gyassi) didn't really have any magical realism either. Which is fine by me because I don't love magical realism. But it came up on several lists when I googled "magical realism for people who don't like magical realism" so I'm totally counting it.
I'm from Taiwan and have been reading Japanese literature since I was a teenager. I'm glad it's becoming more popular in the English-speaking world. The Offing sounds great. I love your T-shirt! So I only notice the cat🙃😽
Oooh I would love to visit Taiwan 🇹🇼 Everything I’ve heard about it sounds wonderful, and as a fried chicken fan I know some people argue Taiwanese is the best 😅
Great so far actually! Really enjoyed everything I’ve read, and currently about a third into Brotherless Night and I can see why it’s been getting rave reviews.
@@benreadsgood absolutely. I love the dignity with which Winman treats her characters. She doesn't coddle them or protect them, but she certainly doesn't revel in their misery.
I had been sitting on the fence about Home Fires. But you've persuaded me to give it a go. And since I haven't read a single Myers I think I shall start with this one, it sounds intriguing. 🦊
