Read:
Great Circle - Maggie Shipstead
The Sweetness of Water - Nathan Harris
I liked both of these very much, with a personal preference for the Maggie Shipstead, which isn't surprising to me because it's very much the sort of book I read, and I actually borrowed it from the library before it was longlisted. I've read and enjoyed her second novel a few years ago, and I enjoy historical sagas about interesting female characters. But I'll definitely look out for Nathan Harris's future work after reading his impressive debut.
Currently reading
The Fortune Men, Nadifa Mohamed
This is a book that I think I would have wanted to read anyway, but the Booker list means that the libraries have bought more copies sooner than they would have done otherwise, which is great. The historical Tiger Bay setting appeals, as it sounds like an interesting place from what I've seen in TV documentaries and read in other books, and the various experiences of migrants here and of the next generation. I've read about 30 pages, very good so far, and need to get my skates on to finish reading and return this to the library.
A Town Called Solace, Mary Lawson
As for Great Circle and The Fortune Men, this is very much the sort of book that appeals to me anyway. I have her 3 other novels all TBR, and borrowed this as a library ebook before it came up as a Kindle Daily Deal.
Kindle TBR
No One is Talking About This - Patricia Lockwood - I also have her memoir Priestdaddy TBR and was interested in this when it came out. Already shortlisted for the Women's Prize.
China Room, Sunjeev Sahota - I enjoyed his previous novel The Year of the Runaways about a young Indian immigrant living in Sheffield. I'd borrowed it from the library and was really pleased to see it come up as a Kinde Daily Deal.
Light Perpetual - Francis Spufford
Have read his memoir of childhood reading and am interested in Francis Spufford's varied output. Have finally read his previous novel Golden Hill recently and really enjoyed it (I really love historical fiction).
I've borrowed several from the library but had to return them because I couldn't renew and/or had too many books out, and am still hoping to get to read Second Place as Rachel Cusk is an author whose work I normally buy/borrow and read at some point.
I've heard parts of the Radio 4 serial of Klara and the Sun and would like to read it properly. I've read Never Let Me Go and When Were Orphans and have all his other previous novels on my Kindle TBR.
I will buy any of the others if they come up as Kindle bargains - hopeful because 5 have so far. Otherwise if I ever get through my most pressing library books and the list of books I had to return to the library and want to borrow again to read, I'm sure I'll look for the Karen Jennings book. I was surprised that I hadn't heard of her before.
I would be happy to see either Maggie Shipstead or Nadifa Mohamed win though I can't predict that any specific one of the 6 will or won't win. There's nothing here that I would be horrified to see win, but I think I've only read two Booker winners that I didn't like much - one was Kingsley Amis 30 years ago and I just didn't get it - my memory is hazy but I suspect this wasn't the judges' best decision ever. The other, this century, was Howard Jacobson's The Finkler Question, which I found very unpleasant in tone. I have really mixed feelings about HJ - he did a very interesting documentary series on Australian culture and writing which really made me want to find out more about the writers and books etc he was talking about.. I have bought a couple of his other novels, most recently My Name is Sherlock because I'm really interested in the Hogarth Shakespeare series novels (different writers write a contemporary novel exploring the story of a Shakespeare play in some way).