Women’s Prize Longlist Reaction for 2023 

The only book on this list I've read is "Memphis" by Tara M. Stringfellow. It's four generations of family drama/trauma and it was fantastic!!! I know you like "messy" family stories so I'm pretty sure you'd enjoy this one!

I, too, am kinda shocked that Nighcrawling isn't on the list.

I bought The Bandit Queens because I loved the cover. LOL! I haven't read it yet but I am happy to see it on this list!!

Had to come backkkk, but no response necessary! Agree-HAMNET can’t be touched by The Marriage Portrait. My 🌳 🤗 arse is curious ~ Pod ( though I’ve heard the writing is sophomoric) ; ordered Bandit Queens & Stone Blind ( I too am not familiar w Greek Mythology, but CIRCE👏🏽 got me hooked on these retellings) from UK; Dog one sounds too Eat Pray Love-ish for me; you sold me on Memphis w the “paintbrush”;I’ve actually heard great things about the Cinema book, though I had little interest initially; Glory has been in my physical TBR unread for months, as I’ve heard only 2 good reviews out of 20x that many; Cursed Bread= read Water Cure & appreciated the creepy atmosphere, but it was unsettling in a way that I couldn’t say I enjoyed it. Blahdiggityblah! I’m excited for wrap ups on ones you do read, but absolutely support your not reading any of them you don’t want to! 📖 🪱 💚

The bottom line: I will definitely be reading I’m A Fan, Trespasses*, The Marriage Portrait, Cursed Bread, Pod, Memphis*, and Stone Blind. * are audiobooks from the library. The rest I have physical copies of already or on the way. From the books I had never heard of, I definitely want to read Wandering Souls but haven’t tracked it down yet. Thanks for reviewing the blurbs because now I know none of the others interest me. Well, you might be able to convince me on Black Butterflies. I will await your result. Details: 1. Considering that the Pulitzer doesn’t like it when other prizes pee in their pool, are you sure you want Kingsolver to win the Women’s Prize? What if they told you it’s one or the other? 2. Memphis has been out in the US since April 2022. I’ve almost picked it up in a bookshop or taken it out of the library/Scribd a dozen times. I’m a bit surprised to see it here, but I have some interest in it. 3. I’m a mythology girl. Since like first or second grade when the Greek and Roman myths were taught in school. Love them. Not quite so sure I love the rewrites they are getting these days, but I had to go for it. Medusa and Perseus? It’s a no-brainer for me. I also just ordered Clytemnestra from the UK and it’s huge (like 560 pages.) Gasp! 4. Apologies to its fans in advance, but Glory is this year’s No One is Talking About This for me. It just won’t die. Just my opinion. 5. Demon Copperhead: tl;dr is all I can say. Who knows. Maybe I’ll read it and Glory sometime. 🤷‍♀️ 6. Homesick: I saw someone say she originally wrote a version of this book in a foreign language. Then she rewrote it in English as a memoir which was published in the US last year. Then she rewrote it again as fiction. Kind of a flexible topic. 😂 7. The books that didn’t make it: there are a couple that you mentioned in this video where I replied Thank God. 😉 But Nightcrawling! I’m so sad it didn’t make it!

I think you would like Memphis.

Basing on your book choice that attract you, I think you would really like the Aspen Words Literary Prize for social issues and justice. And the Homesick situation is when Croft first write it in Spanish, it was a novel. Then she rewrote it and the US publisher convinced her to include some of her personal images and market it as a memoir. Then she rewrote it again (a hybrid of the original Spanish and the US memoir) and the UK edition is fiction, where she want the truth to be only a core inspiration of it. So yeah in all other places in the world it is a novel, only in US it is market as a memoir.

Memphis is SOLID. I loved it, personally.

Agreed -- I am really rooting for Demon Copperhead too, even though I'll give some of the others a chance. 😏I put as many on hold at the library as I could -- and yesterday I grabbed Homesick and Memphis off the shelves. I won't get to all of them by April 26 or possibly even June 14. We shall see. Also agree that we haven't gotten a strong social media book yet; the splashy ones have either been DNFs for me or ones I've chosen to ignore. Speaking of books and animals, how is Jamie doing? And how are you and Joel holding up?

I’ve only read 2 on the list Tresspasses by Louise Kennedy( debut) Demon Copperhead There are 8 books I’ve never heard of. If you watch Simon Savage & his mums reaction to the list… Simon flicked through Children of Paradise and each of the chapters had titles from famous films of the past.

The Furrows made it onto the Carol Shields Prize longlist though! I’m planning on maybe reading 4 from this list, Demon Copperhead, Stone Blind, Trespasses and possibly the dolphin book.

The list seems strong on debut authors which is why there are so many I haven’t heard of. I’ll have trouble getting hold of many but I did put through an overseas order for the few I’m most interested in.

Ty for those dates! I checked website & immediately forgot. But HEARING it = got it. I’ve only read Demon Copperhead and am currently reading the marriage portrait. The former was the only book I really hoped would make the list; Kingsolver hit the Appalachian experience nail on the head & the exploitation and oppression allll over. It’s ART of the genre that has the potential to spark the fire for change.

So glad Demon Copperhead made the list and I'd love for it to win but I'm happy for a lesser known author to win the prize to get the exposure that Kingsolver already has. Disappointed not to see Nightcrawling on the list as I thought it was incredible and I was also hoping for A Certain Hunger to make it although maybe a book about a cannibal food critic isn't for everyone!

I've read The Bandit Queens and The Marriage Portrait, I liked both and I was pleasantly surprised to see The Bandit Queen on the list. I'm looking forward to reading Stone Blind for sure. And Pod is probably the one that intrigues me the most of the list.

I have not read one of these books, and not even heard of many. (Not bragging! 😆) Last year I had read two and had at least heard of most in passing. I love long lists for exposure to books I've not heard of, and this one does this for sure! It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.

I've only read Demon Copperhead and The Marriage Portrait. I'm interested in The Bandit Queens, Memphis and maybe Trespasses. Right now with my limited sample I'd root for Demon Copperhead.

I haven’t read The Dog of The North but I really enjoyed her previous novel The Portable Veblen so I’m in. I’m also in on Homesick as a fan of Jennifer Croft’ s translation the Lonesome Reader book tube channel gives a good explanation of its history. Charco press first English only novel they published. Children of Paradise seems like it might be a quiet type novel that will be sleeper good

I've seen descriptions of Children of Paradise that make it sound a lot trippier. Just ordered her short story collection from my library. It's been compared to Angela Carter, Margaret Atwood, and David Lynch. Homesick has been rewritten and rereleased a few times. I think Kingsolver won earlier for Lacuna.

i enjoyed this list, and think it's a great mix of expected, and rather random. i'm immediately intrigued by I'm a Fan and Pod. Fire Rush sounds amazing on audio, I love an accented narration. Here a British/Carribean one, one of my favourite accents. I believe Homesick has been rewritten to be a novel, I was confused by it's inclusion too.

I believe Homesick was a memoir then rewritten and worked as a novel! It’s been released twice, so two versions of it exist.

14th June birthday here too.

I hope Demon Copperhead wins, but I only read 2 others on the list. Kingsolver won for The Lacuna btw. Of this list, I want to read Fire Rush. I always love your reaction videos.

I am sad that Black Butterfly has no US release date. It sounds the best to me, besides Bandit Queen. Thanks for your honesty thoughts, per usual!

I'm most excited for The Bandit Queens! I wasn't a fan of Stone Blind. I'm very surprised Nightcrawling didn't show up as well.

I loved Demon Copperhead so right now it’s got my vote. The Marriage Portrait was a huge disappointment for me after loving Hamnet. I’m currently reading The Bandit Queens, it’s good but people were saying it’s page turning and gripping, I’m not seeing that. I’m excited to check out Pod, Fire Season, and Black Buttterflies along with Memphis which has been on my TBR since it released last year

Yes Demon for the win. I've read 3 including Demon. Completely agree with The Marriage Portrait and I loved Hamnet, MP was clunky. I was also disappointed with Stone Blind, audiobook didn't work for me. There's 7 or 8 there that I'll try to read from the library. I'm disappointed that Horse isn't on it (yet to read it) and currently listening to The Swimmers which seems pretty good to me. I'm currently working my way through the Australian 2023 Stella longlist (It's our women's prize) Read 4 so far and loving the content. Happy Reading.

I'm a bit surprised that Kamila Shamsie isn't there, but there isn't room for everyone. They like to prioritize some lesser known stuff, so some of the well-known authors get pushed off the list.

it was an interesting list but i know i'm rooting for demon copperhead!!!!

I am surprised that Nightcrawling is not on the list. I am also surprised that Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Babel are not on the list. I am also surprised that Lucy by the Sea is not on the list. I am a huge fan of Glory. Glory and Demon Copperhead are my favorites. How about Glory winning the Women's Prize and Demon Copperhead winning the Pulitzer?

Some of them feel kind of like weird choices. Some seem like good choices for sure. I'm a little bummed many aren't in the US right now, and of course Black Butterflies has no US release date. It sounds the most interesting. I'm assuming we'll see either Demon Copperhead or Marriage Portrait win it.

Oof when you hit “comment” & see it’s way longer than it felt writing it. Aka; no obligation station to read that dissertation I posted .

I really didn't like The Birdcatcher. There were some interesting things going on overall, but I didn't jive with it.

The author of Memphis had some really bad interactions with people who reviwed her book that put me off reading anything she writes.

I'm all for "best writing by a..." lists, all the better to highlight quality writing, but can we agree that isolating "women authors" is a bit quaint in 2023? As if women specifically still needed a leg up because of their second-class status in literature. I read for quality and it's no accident a good half are female authors these days.