The Booker Prize 2022 Winner

It's been really interesting following the Booker Prize this year. It highlighted some books which were already recent favourites including “Small Things Like These”, “The Colony”, “The Trees”, “Nightcrawling” and “Glory”. But it also encouraged me to pick up other excellent novels such as “Booth”, “Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies” and this year's deserving winner “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida”.

I had the great privilege of attending the celebration and announcement for the prize. Before the event began of I was able to see the authors looking at the one-of-a-kind special editions of their novels. I also had a little talk with Shehan Karunatilaka beforehand and I got to ask him a question at the press conference after the ceremony. You can watch a video of this and my vlog about the rest of the evening here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMeaGY-hefA

I had lovely chats with Maddie Mortimer, Percival Everett, Elif Shafak, a judge of next year’s Booker International Prize and some fellow bookstagrammers. Dua Lipa led us in singing happy to Alan Garner who was on a video call. I lost my glasses and found my glasses. It was all quite a whirlwind!

Since the protagonist of Karunatilaka’s novel is a gambler it felt appropriate to place a bet on “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida” and it was my favourite to win. So it paid off, but moreover I'm thrilled with this result as the novel is such an entertaining and insightful story. It's a suspenseful mystery, a reckoning with Sri Lanka's war torn history, a creepy ghost story and a moving meditation on the meaning of life. I’m glad more people will be discovering it now.

Have you read Maali Almeida yet? What do you think of the result?

50 Books to Read if...

Eek! My 2 new books have just been published! It's so thrilling being able to finally hold actual physical copies of these books after working so hard on them. If you want to see a video of me opening up a box of them for the first time and explaining more about them head over to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64ksvY1omQE

Earlier this year I was commissioned to write these little beauties which are lists of 50 great romances & 50 great mysteries. Each book listed includes descriptions, fun info and lovely illustrations. They are interactive TBRs where you can give star ratings, notes or list your own favourite books in these genres.

Although my choices are all excellent reads, I didn't intend these lists of books to be the “50 greatest of all time” but give a wide selection of classic, contemporary, literary, popular and more obscure choices. They are meant as fun gift books which will hopefully inspire people who love these genres to try some titles they've not read before.

And, yes, each book includes a title by JCO!

You can purchase copies from anywhere in the world using these links…

50 Books to Read if You're an Armchair Detective: https://tidd.ly/3VvdrJt

50 Books to Read if You're a Hopeless Romantic: https://tidd.ly/3rHFMyt

If you get a copy let me know how many you’ve read from each list. These are really meant as conversation starters so I'd love to know about your favourite novel with a strong romantic theme and your favourite mystery novel of all time.

Treacle Walker by Alan Garner

This slender fable-like novel was a bit of a head scratcher. Having seen the baffled responses from a number of readers I was prepared for a cryptic tale going into this book and I think it's fair to be warned that it's not a standard narrative. At its centre is a boy with a lazy eye named Joseph Coppock who lives on his own reading comics, collecting odd bits from nature and playing with marbles. One day the eponymous Treacle Walker, a rag-and-bone man (someone who travels around a certain area collecting unwanted household items and clothing) approaches his house. Joseph barters with this pungent man exchanging a literal rag (old pyjamas) and bone for some mysterious items that provoke magical occurrences. The boy enters into a journey through time, the imagination and possibly beyond the boundaries of life. Along the way he interacts with some odd figures from a time guardian who dwells in a bog to characters from his Knockout comic to a summoned cuckoo to a double of himself. Though the primary drive for this story is Joseph's shift in seeing and a quest to prevent magical elements from entering into his dimension, the overall meaning of this fantastical story remains open to interpretation.

In a way I admire how Garner excavates elements from English folklore to entirely refashion them in a tale that seems to literally exist out of time. The novel is unapologetically strewn with antiquated terms, references to items specific to Cheshire, elements from Garner's previous books and entirely invented words. However, those not familiar with any of these things will be quite disorientated throughout much of the novel. Fiction shouldn't necessarily define its terminology and it can be a pleasure using stories as a springboard to learn more about a particular culture and locale. Looking up colloquialisms and vernacular language such as a donkey stone and terms like “shufti” yields a bit more understanding, but I doubt this book will be comprehensible to anyone who doesn't originate from this area of England and hasn't grown up reading Garner's children books. So it's no wonder that some readers have been impatient with it.

This novel certainly has charm. The sections I found most striking were when characters from the comic break out from the boundaries of their black boxes and Joseph races through multiple mirrors. This sort of captivating imagery makes me feel a childish wonder again. I can imagine being completely compelled by this novel if I'd read it as an adolescent. Larger themes to do with local history/mythology and questions to do with the boundaries of the imagination and the way our brains organize time make the story intellectually engaging. It's a fable whose meaning would morph if it were read and reread over the course of a lifetime. However, my initial impression is more of curious amusement like experiencing a disorientating dream that makes little obvious sense. Maybe it'll haunt me over time and I'm sure the next time I hear the sound of a cuckoo I'll feel a shiver down my spine.

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

It's been several years since Strout first started writing about this particular reflective heroine beginning with “My Name is Lucy Barton” and continuing aspects of her story through the books “Anything is Possible” and “Oh William!” - though I'd say this new novel is the most straightforward sequel yet as events follow directly on from the end of that third novel. Lucy's later life becomes even more entangled with her first husband William as the recent pandemic hits America and they go into lockdown together in a borrowed coastal house in Maine. Lucy recounts her difficulty navigating this intense period of time and describes new discoveries regarding her personal history and events to do with her family life.

By now Lucy has come to feel like an old friend. I have a deep affection towards her but I also find her slightly irritating. She has a particular idiosyncratic way in which she sifts through the past alighting upon significant moments she remembers with great clarity while other aspects of her personal history and life seem mysterious to her. Of course, this is very relatable and it's what gives Strout's stories great humanity. But Lucy's ponderousness and low self-esteem can also be trying. This is certainly deliberate as William and her adult daughters occasionally express their impatience with her. However, as we come to understand the continuing impact her impoverished and difficult familial relationships have had upon her life these aspects of her personality make much more sense.

My experience of this novel was influenced by reading the entire book aloud to my husband while we were on a recent long road trip. It really brought the story to life as we laughed or gasped at certain parts and discussed it in between sections. As always I'm delighted at affectionate jibes Strout makes about life in Maine such as how fiercely cold it gets, but there's also a particular reason why Lucy intensely hates being cold. Strout also doesn't shrink from revealing darker aspects of Maine life such as the insular nature of some of its citizens who are hostile to outsiders. Since Lucy's narrative is quite straightforward and chatty it made reading it aloud particularly pleasurable. I think there's also a deceptive simplicity to Strout's writing which touches upon really profound subject matter from the evolving nature of love to deep political divisions in America while also representing the foibles and peculiar details which make us human.

Barton drops in plenty of “catch up” information throughout this novel in case readers haven't read or have forgotten details from the previous books. So it can certainly be read as a stand-alone book. However, I can't imagine coming to this novel without having read the previous books and my appreciation and understanding of it was certainly enhanced since I've travelled the entirely of this extensive journey with Lucy. A knowledge of Barton's entire oeuvre is also handy as characters from her previous books such as “The Burgess Boys”, “Olive Kitteridge” and “Olive, Again” make appearances in this new novel. Knowing something of these additional characters gives Lucy's interactions with them an added poignancy and also gave me a feeling of being fully immersed in the fictional alternate universe which Barton has created.

Many dramatic things occur in this novel and shocking secrets are revealed. There's an acknowledge irony to this since it's also about a period of time stuck in a house where circular routines are established and nothing of significance seems to occur for many months. It's an ideal time for mulling things over and Lucy also develops some strong connections with a few local individuals. The story builds to quite a moving conclusion where Lucy arrives at certain revelations. At the same time, she knows the future is always unclear and she becomes equally sure that she knows nothing. This really embodies the quiet genius of this character and it's no doubt why Strout has a continuing preoccupation with Lucy's story. One of Lucy's mortal fears is how we never know when we might see someone for the last time. I don't know if this will be the last book to feature Lucy Barton, but I'm certainly glad to have encountered her again and this latest novel has given me an even deeper appreciation for the previous books.

Babysitter by Joyce Carol Oates

The opening of “Babysitter” obsessively focuses on a few moments in time as a woman ascends in a glass hotel elevator to the 61st floor and walks down a corridor to a room with a sign on the door that loudly declares “PRIVACY PLEASE! DO NOT DISTURB”. Hannah is a wealthy wife and mother living in a Detroit suburb in the 1970s. She has arrived for an assignation and to engage in an affair with a mysterious man she met briefly at a party. Like in a fairy tale, violating the message on this door and entering the room will irrevocably alter her life to liberate or destroy it. However, this story isn't as concerned with consequences as it is in moments in our life when there is a profound shift from one stage to another. So the narrative catches in a time loop like a snippet of film which plays over and over: “The vision overcame her. And this, too, cinematic, in a flash. Yet, strangely, not a vision so much as a memory.” The style of detailing the minutiae of a seemingly ordinary action is reminiscent of Nicholson Baker's “The Mezzanine” and by following Hannah in these brief moments we come to understand her position in life and her milieu of white upper class privilege. She is a passive woman living amongst deadly powerful men who make their own rules and dominate the people around them. This novel presents a vivid, hallucinatory and thought-provoking portrait of those whose lives brush against an elusive serial killer preying upon children.

It's easy to criticise a character such as Hannah who is preoccupied with brand labels and social status. She takes her housekeeper Ismelda for granted as she's frequently left to care for Hannah's children and Hannah's grand house. Hannah neglects her children unless she's being hysterically attentive to them. But she also had a difficult upbringing with a possibly violent/abusive father. Her husband is frequently absent and callous towards her. She seems to have no close friends and she becomes trapped in a perilous or even deadly situation. As she gradually becomes aware of the danger of the men around her, she becomes trapped in a circumstance where she's completely lost control. The story also focuses on a young man named Mikey who was an orphan and comes from a troubled background. He's a sort of fixer that takes care of dodgy jobs for nefarious men. Just like Hannah, he underestimates the absolute power and sway of these men who only show favour to Hannah and Mikey when they can use them. However, Mikey is a chameleon who reinvents himself and develops a psychological armour to shield himself from the world. He's lawless but has a moral centre from which he deals out his own sense of justice. It feels tragic that there is a deep disconnect between Hannah and Mikey because they could be natural allies, but they have such different personalities and ways of coping.

The story doesn't only report on the murder of children by a deranged serial killer, but also the state sanctioned murder of an innocent black man who is targeted by police after Hannah returns to her home in a dishevelled and damaged state. Yet the public accept this as justified and it quickly passes out of their minds. Oates' National Book Award winning 1969 novel “them” is partly about the racial tensions which led to a “riot” or “rebellion” in Detroit in 1967. The endemic racism in the city is still very present during the later 1970s when “Babysitter” is set and the shadow of these events loom over the characters. In his racist paranoia, Hannah's husband is quick to persecute a black man regardless of his total innocence. As always in Oates' fiction, notions of justice don't naturally align with the law as the ideologies governing these characters' lives are the truly ruling factor. It's hypnotic how this novel captures the resulting psychological chaos of living in a world of predators and prey. The tension of whether this horrific serial killer will be stopped is depicted alongside a woman whose reality is broken as she's trapped in a perpetual nightmare.

You can watch me discuss “Babysitter” with Joyce Carol Oates here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StX-dEuDo3A

The Booker Prize 2022 Shortlist

Here are the 6 novels shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize! A new video is up on my YouTube channel discussing all these books and fun info about the list as well as the exciting news that the Booker is sponsoring me to follow this year's shortlist: https://youtu.be/rJeF4NoymaA Yes, she is official! This is a lovely thing which will allow me to engage with readers even more than I usually do about this prize season, but I'll continue to give my honest thoughts about the nominated books and the list as a whole.

I correctly predicted that 4 of these novels would make the shortlist and I've read 5 of them. I'm thrilled Bulawayo, Everett, Keegan and Karunatilaka made it! Their novels are extraordinarily clever, emotional and excellently written. Moreover they are all a JOY to read. Though this novel by Strout isn't my favourite or one of my personal tops from the longlist or my fav from the Lucy Barton series (the 4th novel in the series “Lucky by the Sea” will be published in the UK on Oct 6th), I love her writing and this is a very moving and deceptively simple story. I've not read Garner's short novel yet but I've heard such mixed opinions I'm so intrigued to get to it.

It is a shame “The Colony” by Audrey Magee and “Nightcrawling” by Leila Mottley didn't make the shortlist. I loved both of these and would encourage anyone who hasn't yet read them to get to these as well. There are also other books from the longlist I've not read yet which I'm still intending to explore.

What do you think of the list? Any favourites, disappointments or books you're looking forward to?

I'm looking forward to following this exciting prize season even more closely!

Acting Class by Nick Drnaso

People who are socially awkward often suffer from a sense of being alienated and not wanted – particularly in environments that are new to them. Most people experience this on some level but it's more acutely felt by certain people. It's difficult to know whether these feelings are self manifested or if this rejection comes from being different and not conforming to common social behaviour. At the start of Drnaso's latest graphic novel, we get snapshots of several such individuals who feel isolated in different ways. They come together in response to a general ad for an acting class which is described as a “unique opportunity” that is seemingly more about building self confidence than training to become a professional actor. The class is lead by John Smith, an affable man with a disturbingly commonplace name. He asks for no payment for the first set of classes and though his motives seem purely altruistic at the beginning his plans for these students become increasingly mysterious. Through a series of scenes which switch between these individuals' outside lives and acting prompts performed in class the line between reality and artifice becomes worryingly blurred. The story raises poignant questions concerning what constitutes an authentic self and the degree to which socialising inhibits or enhances self expression.

Any book that immediately gives short introductions to a wide cast of characters poses a challenge to the reader to remember and keep track of who all these people are while experiencing the story. This difficulty is increased by Drnaso's drawing style where many of the characters appear quite similar to each other. However, this isn't a criticism as this aspect of the book enhances the story's themes which probe the nature of individuality and whether our personalities are innate or self-created. The unsettling anonymous effect is somewhat similar to the film 'Anomalisa' where animated facial features and voices are disturbingly uniform. Naturally, as “Acting Class” continues the identities and personal histories of these characters become clearer as information is revealed through their interactions with each other. We also get a better sense of how these characters variously conceal, evade or manipulate when conversing with others. Equally, their insecurities and earnest desires to be good people spill out as they struggle to connect.

It's visually striking when the characters are acting in a scene and suddenly the background behind them will change from one panel to the next to show an entirely new environment to fit the imaginary space they're inhabiting. This feels like a playful commentary on the way in which we sometimes feel like we create our own reality. As these individuals improvise scenes the characters and situations they invent are naturally inspired by real life and disturbing things sometimes emerge. I enjoyed the ambiguity and discomfort of the moments where the other characters aren't sure if their acting partner is still acting or confessing something true. It explores the degree to which this occurs in real life where constructed social identities break down and real feelings emerge. One of the most poignant relationships in the novel is between a couple who are struggling to maintain their relationship and strategise to reignite the spark by starting over as if they're strangers. It reminds me of the protagonists of Vesna Main's “Good Day?” where a couple write a novel about a couple. Drnaso shows how certain tensions remain even when a long term relationship is reset as if they are meeting for the first time.

The central question of this novel revolves around the choice between fully inhabiting reality or committing to an imagined narrative. This is dramatically represented in a dilemma as the participants engage in a final immersive exercise. Naturally, the line between experience and the imagination is much more blurred in our day to day existence and Drnaso's amplifies the crisis to create an impactful and eerie effect. I found it very moving how the story plays out as the characters become lost in hostile landscapes of their own creations. As in his previous graphic novel “Sabrina”, Drnaso skilfully interjects small visual elements into certain panels such as tiny colourful stars or a frame around the panel which suggest there are deeper emotional changes occurring beneath the surface of certain scenes. It's also impressive how the themes of the novel build to such a degree where panels which show barely anything can become so emotionally charged. This novel is a striking and impressive meditation on the tension between being and becoming.

The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean McKay

I always appreciate a non-stereotypical grandmother in fiction and Jean, the protagonist of “The Animals in That Country”, is foul-mouthed, hard drinking and sexual. She also adores her granddaughter Kimberly who is the only human with whom she shares a strong emotional bond. Her colleagues at the zoo where she gives guided tours don't think of Jean as a real ranger. She's estranged from her son. She's blocked from posting on certain websites. And her occasional lover is more devoted to his boyfriend. So it's only natural she feels a connection with the animals she cares for. She humorously makes up voices for them while guessing what the beasts are thinking and establishes what she believes to be a special kinship with a dingo named Sue. A mysterious disease quickly spreads across Australia that causes a pinkness in the eye and humans to hear everything that living creatures communicate. Life at the zoo is upturned. People go mad being bombarded with the thoughts of animals and most distance themselves from them as much as possible. When Kimberly's infected father takes her away to discover what whales are really saying, Jean sets out on a road trip to retrieve her alongside her companion Sue. This makes for a highly unique buddy journey as Jean gradually becomes more attuned to the surprising things that all the animals around her are really thinking and saying.

Gradually the text of the story becomes more populated by the animal speech which is a kind of garbled poetry mixed with a heavy dose of profanity. Though it seems like complete gibberish at first it gradually takes on more meaning and I enjoyed how this novel challenges the reader to enter the mindset of other species. Most often we project human consciousness onto animals when wondering what they're thinking but it's more likely that the pattern of their minds is very different from our own. Naturally, if we could actually hear everything the creatures around us are thinking we'd be more aware of the way we are dominating and abusing them. But this novel doesn't romanticise animal consciousness either. The creatures Jean hears are often selfish, crude or tedious. While this makes McKay's debut a really unique novel it also becomes quite confusing to follow the narrative of Jean's episodic journey. However, I was particularly struck by the emotional poignancy of the end. Though Jean is a feisty character her hard exterior conceals a loneliness dwelling beneath the surface and this becomes evident through the dilemma she's presented with at the story's conclusion. This dystopian novel is thoughtful and unsettling as well as moving in its depiction of alcoholism and alienation.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

It's hard to think of a novel I'd be predisposed to love as much as Gabrielle Zevin's story of two friends who become extremely successful game designers. Not only does the novel begin in an area near Boston I'm very familiar with, but its main characters are roughly my contemporaries. They reference video games I played a lot when I was younger. The characters discuss issues such as how to reach the top of the flag pole in Super Mario Bros and dying from dysentery in The Oregon Trail. Aside from my personal identification with the story and even if you weren't ever into gaming this is a novel many will enjoy in the way it poignantly describes a longterm platonic friendship, creativity and issues to do with identity. Adolescent Sam survives a car crash but sustains a serious foot injury which leaves him disabled for the rest of his life. While he's in the hospital he meets Sadie and the two connect over a shared passion for gaming. Both are somewhat socially awkward so their special relationship is particularly meaningful but over the years they go through rocky patches where sometimes they are emotionally distant from each other. While they are still in college they dedicate themselves to creating a new video game. Though they are driven more by passion than a desire for success the game becomes a worldwide hit. They are living the dream, but we follow how personal, professional and political challenges inhibit them from happily inhabiting the real world.

I enjoyed how the story shows that there's a liberating freedom in entering the gaming world where we're not subject to the same pressures and limitations of reality. It also broadens our scope for seeing how society can be refashioned to be more equal and fair for everyone. Sadie and Sam self consciously endeavour to form alternative worlds which aren't inhibited by sexism, racism and homophobia. The role playing in the stories also challenges preconceived ideas of history and our own culpability in morally ambiguous situations. As a model which gamers inhabit with avatars this can inspire change which carries over into decisions made in the real world. However, it can also be an addictive way of avoiding certain personal issues and foster as many factions as there are in reality. Equally, even though it can be a useful medium through which to build and sustain friendships, it doesn't always foster communication in the same way as speaking to people in real life. The story details the particular challenges which Sadie encounters because she was one of the few women in the professional field of gaming at that time. Sam becomes extremely withdrawn because of his serious injury and denies how much it impacts his life. Their social awkwardness is somewhat mediated through a mutual friend and colleague named Marx who is confident and caring. It's heartrending how the story of this trio plays out over the course of the story.

This is a novel of great ambition which is largely pleasurable and engaging to read. At times it feels like it strives a little too hard to cover quite so many topics from the line between power play in the bedroom and domestic abuse to same sex marriage to cultural appropriation. For the most part it meaningfully incorporates these into the characters and storylines, but it sometimes risks cramming a bit too much in to sensitively show the full repercussions and complexities of these things. The timeline shifts around quite a lot in a way which can be a bit disorientating at first, but it's fairly easy to follow. Interviews with Sam about the success of their games are interspersed with the main narrative so there's never any question about their success as game creators. Instead the plot focuses on the more interesting question of how they can continue to stay true to their ideas and vision while building a sustainable business. I admire how Zevin toys with narrative perspective itself so it sometimes switches to inhabiting game play. This builds a tension concerning what is occurring in the real world and why the characters are taking refuge in the virtual. The title of the novel is a quote from Shakespeare and its relevance in the story is only revealed later. It's pleasurable when stories do this because it's like a reward for the reader who finally understands the thematic frame of the book. Overall, it's a smart and alluring tale which poignantly expresses the bittersweet joys of gaming and the sustaining connection of friendship.

Girls in their Married Bliss by Edna O'Brien

Has there ever been a more ironic title for a novel? In the third book of O'Brien's 'Country Girls' trilogy we pick up with Cait and Baba to discover they have separately married. Despite the prospect of her independence in London at the end of “The Lonely Girl”, Cait has actually married the problematic older man Eugene, given birth to his child and is in the midst of an affair when the novel begins. Baba has also married a prosperous but dull-witted man who is a poor match for this highly social and sexually forward woman. Neither of these women are content with their lives, let alone feeling anything close to bliss. Along with learning about the developments in these girls' lives which occurred between the novels the most striking thing about this latest instalment is that O'Brien has changed the narrative so it alternates between Cait and Baba's perspective. (Previously, we've been firmly locked in Cait's point of view.) It's quite emotional following the dramatic events of this novel as I've grown to closely know and care about both these girls as they've struggled to achieve their desires while developing into independent women.

At first it's a great novelty getting Baba's brashly unfiltered perspective. However, it soon feels a bit too chaotic as events unfold and it ultimately detracted from my enjoyment of following a story which had previously engrossed me. I'm not sure why O'Brien chose to change the narrative in this way as Baba's voice and point of view always came through clearly enough in the dialogue of previous books. Of course, it's also more gloomy following the girls into their adult lives as all the promise and prospects they enjoyed when they were younger and rebellious have dwindled as they've made certain life choices. It previously seemed like there were educational and professional prospects for them but those have seemingly been put aside. Far from finding personal contentment in motherhood, each woman differently struggles with parenting while being embroiled in relationship difficulties. There's the sad fact that these girls have become bound by the same struggles which inhibited their mothers' livelihood. So it's depressing seeing the cycle continue.

Nonetheless, the novel makes a striking statement about how we all get caught in the “rut of human existence” because of conflicts to do with romance, friendships and living in a community. However, because of the conservative attitudes and the dominant religion in Ireland at that time, these women aren't equipped to deal with and productively discuss the challenges that they face. There's no support network for their issues which are universal but the patriarchy expects them to silently abandon their desires and submit to what's expected of them. They are locked in a perpetual state of “girlhood”. While their difficulties are partly circumstantial they also have personalities which compel them to make some unfortunate choices and they end up perpetuating damaging behaviour. This trilogy also includes an afterward by the author which is really more like a novella and from what I understand O'Brien wrote it several years after completing this third book. Sadly, this only reinforces the sense that rather than being beacons of progress these girls end up damaging those around them and find no fulfilment. It's realistic that things work out this way, but it does make these last instalments relentlessly depressing to read. Previously it felt like the novels achieved a good balance between humour and seriousness. All this meant that I enjoyed this third novel the least of all the books, but O'Brien is such a skilful writer and this trilogy is truly a modern classic in the forthright way it presents the perspective of the young Irish female experience.

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

How could I not fall for a novel whose plot superficially resembles the movie 'Ghost'? That's not to say this book was inspired by that film as its use of ghosts caught “In-Between” is rooted in Sri Lankan folklore, but it's the reference which immediately came to my mind when reading this tremendous story. There may not be any Oda Mae Brown, but there is a more sinister self-interested sort of medium called The Crow Man. Thankfully the protagonist is also much more interesting than the blandly good, pretty boy Sam Wheat. Maali Almeida documents atrocities of war and wants tyrants to be held accountable but he is not virtuous. From page one it states that if he had a business card it'd say: “Maali Almeida: Photographer. Gambler. Slut.” He accepts work from shady organizations, loses a lot of his money at a casino and sleeps around with many men behind his (secret) partner DD's back. What's more he's disillusioned with the government and doesn't attach himself to any particular political organization in Sri Lanka which is heavily embroiled in a deadly civil war during the late 80s when this novel is set. Because of all his complexity and so-called “flaws”, I fell in love with this character.

At the start of the book Maali wakes to find himself in the liminal space between life and the great beyond. Just like we can't recall birth, he can't recall his death. He's instructed by an official that he has seven moons to decide whether he wants to enter the light or remain as a spectre amongst the living. A countdown begins during which he wants to discover his killer, reconnect with those he loves and reveal to the public shocking evidence of a national scandal. It's satisfying reading a novel built around a certain structure that moves towards a definite ending and the suspenseful way in which this story unravels makes it thrilling to reach the conclusion. We gradually discover details of his life through people he “haunts”, but he also encounters many of the dead victims he got paid for photographing. In addition to those who were actively killed there are the ghosts of those who found life in Sri Lanka untenable and committed suicide. These spirits are raging. There is a tension between those who want to get their revenge and the desire to leave all the pain of life behind.

This is dramatically played out over the course of the novel as Maali becomes familiar with Sena, a deceased man who is hatching a terrorist plot aided by a dangerous, demonic spirit. Underlying these tense and fantastical events are deeply pressing questions about our degree of involvement to enact change and our motivations in life. Maali has seen enough deception, hypocrisy and double-crossing coupled with egregious acts of oppression and mass murder to know that no leader, political organization or band of people can be trusted with consistently safeguarding the welfare for everyone in his country. A brief list of the primary political groups involved in Sri Lanka's conflict is given towards the beginning of the novel. This not only slyly tips off Western readers to who the main stakeholders are and the general motivations of these groups but also shows how none of these opposing forces are purely “good” or “right”. Not aligning himself with any of them makes him an outsider, but he also feels like an outcast because he's a closeted homosexual. Experience has taught him it's safer to adamantly deny being gay even when it's clear he's not straight. His infidelity and many furtive sexual encounters are partly caused by this social pressure but also his puerile justification that it's man's nature as shown in this funny exchange: “You tell him the pecker is proof that man has no free will. There is a pause and, then, DD snorts: 'That is the lamest excuse ever.'”

The story is narrated in the second person which makes sense for a protagonist who has been separated from his physical body. It also grounds the reader in Maali's immediate experience as he struggles to navigate the laws and rules of this peculiar afterlife. The means by which he travels through wind and the degree to which the dead can whisper to the living or physically interact with them are bound by certain constraints. This is handled quite playfully with evocative details such as what it feels like to walk through a wall. It's also amusing how the transitory space which is meant to encourage him into the light resembles an overworked bureaucratic waiting room and ghosts do prankish things like make a scientist's bum itch. So the story doesn't often feel too hampered by logistics and there were only a couple of scenes where it felt like the author was heavy handedly whipping Maali's ghost to a particular place to advance the plot. However, the way in which the afterlife is layered over the realistic world is also presented in a genuinely creepy and atmospheric way. At one point this is even made personal to the reader when it's observed: “There are at least five spirits wandering the space you're in now. One may be reading over your shoulder.” Terrifying and twisted spirits frequently appear to Maali and that initial horror is deepened by the tragic backstories that accompany many of these pitiable souls.

Maali still has the impulse to document what he witnesses and the novel frequently refers to how he continues trying to take pictures with the camera around his neck even though the device is muddied and broken. There's a poignant tragedy to this and the race to allow incriminating photos he took to be seen by the general public. These aspects of the story challenges the general sense that if we can witness any wrongdoing in the world it will be corrected. It's revolutionary how images and video filmed by ordinary people which become viral inspire protest and movement towards change. However, there's also a danger that we can become numb to such violent imagery because of our distance from it and a sense of hopelessness. Can an overwhelming amount of individual tragedy be met with anything but inertia? This novel intelligently probes these issues while not allowing the central suspenseful plot to be drowned by them.

My affection for the central character was also formed because of the love triangle at the centre of this novel. Maali doesn't only live with the equally closeted politician's son and golden boy DD who is described as a “former swimmer, athlete and ruggerite” but also DD's cousin Jaki who has a misplaced attraction towards Maali until they settle down to become good friends. The dynamic of this trio is presented in a compelling and charming way. There's a persistent tragic sense that Maali and DD's dreams of moving to San Francisco to live freely and openly will never be realised. This is underpinned by recollections of endearing moments such as how they had “a hall lined with books that you and DD have gifted each other for misremembered birthdays. Neither of you have read the books received as presents, only the ones you bought for the other.” All these elements combine to produce a big emotional impact. I admire how this novel manages to be mischievous, thrilling, unsettling, insightful, moving and so much fun to read. It's also interesting how the book was originally published in India in 2020 with the title “Chats with the Dead”. Now that it's been published in the UK and has been longlisted for this year's Booker Prize the novel is getting a second life – which feels pleasingly appropriate given the nature of its story.

Otherlands by Thomas Halliday

I really enjoy watching nature documentaries about different animals and climates as well as science programs about the origins of the universe and the growing field of astrobiology. “Otherlands” is like a unique combination of these different scientific surveys. It examines several eras of Earth itself to provide a guided tour which stretches back to the origins of life. We start by viewing a specific region from 20,000 years ago and end up in a location 550 million years ago so that our own planet appears increasingly alien. From this vantage point the history of humans looks very small indeed. Halliday takes care not only to highlight particular plants, microorganisms and other living creatures which look increasingly peculiar the further back we go, but how the ecosystems of different eras worked as a whole given the geological makeup and weather conditions of the time. From this vantage point we can see how systems of life have come and gone on our planet, the staggered methods by which different lifeforms have evolved over time and how examining these things might show us what will happen to humankind in the future with the advent of climate change. It's an awe-inspiring journey which draws upon archeological evidence to transport the reader deep into the history of our planet.

I was drawn to reading this book after it was shortlisted for this year's Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing. The narrative is written in a highly personable style which made me as curious about what we're being shown as the author evidently felt in studying and recreating a picture of these different eras. Halliday's prose is very evocative making it easy to visualise how select parts of the planet appeared very different in these deep layers of history. While he makes comparisons to plants and animals we're familiar with, he takes care to highlight how they aren't necessarily from the same biological family and they inhabited a unique place within these past ecosystems. It's also noted how our common understanding of the origins of humankind and the study of this science itself has been influenced by different politics so Halliday strives to provide as de-politicised and science-based perspective as possible. Though this book is steeped in carefully-researched facts and carries a timely environmental message, it also revels in the wonders of what has come before including the first creature to exhibit parental care to its offspring, the largest waterfall to have ever existed and the startlingly diversity of lifeforms which arise in sync with the changing conditions of our planet. Though each chapter begins with a map of the planet from that particular era and a visual example of a life form that inhabited it, this feels like too sparse an amount of imagery to accompany such graphic text. I'd love to one day see this book turned into a nature television series which could further bring these periods of the planet's history to life.

Booth by Karen Joy Fowler

In an author's note at the end of this novel Karen Joy Fowler expresses her feelings of ambiguity about fictionally recreating the life of John Wilkes Booth, one of the most notorious figures in US history. He was famed for being a handsome and talented actor until the age of 26 when he became infamous for assassinating President Abraham Lincoln in Ford's Theatre on April 15, 1865. Why give more attention to a fanatic and egotist? This was a defining moment in American history which forever reshaped the country so it's only natural to wonder how it came about. Fowler was interested in the way it affected the rest of Booth's family. She's also haunted by Lincoln's warnings about tyrants and mobs in this country and how this still resonates today. The impetus for this novel which recreates the story of the Booth family also presents a conundrum for the reader who will most likely only know of John Wilkes Booth for a single defining action. Therefore, following the story of his life from birth we're naturally attentive to any action which indicates a propensity for mental instability, extreme views or violence. Fowler peppers the text with such signs and we can only warily witness an emboldened John who states at one point: “It's a wonderful thing... to be right in the middle of something so momentous. To feel that you've touched history and history has touched you.” Unlike the author's previous novel “We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves” which contains a famous twist, there's never any doubt about how “Booth” will end but that makes this story no less gripping.

The thing about significant historical events is that they can come to feel inevitable, but obviously in the present moment we're faced with an infinite number of possibilities. We also cannot know the many repercussions of our actions. Though Fowler describes John as having certain propensities, his family definitely didn't view him as having the potential to be a monster. This novel primarily focuses on the point of view of John's surviving siblings and the dramatic story of their challenging family life leading up to John's murderous action. Their father Junius was a famous Shakespearean actor and a complicated tyrannical larger-than-life figure. On one hand, he was an intelligent artist who respected all life as sacred. On the other, he was bigamist who abandoned his first wife, frequently neglected his family and occasionally drunkenly terrorized his mistress and children. Naturally living under his shadow his children grew to both revere and hate him. It's fascinating reading how they change over time and wrestle with their identities as the offspring of Booth. Crucially, their interactions with John feel like any complicated sibling relationship. There's closeness and distance as well as moments of tenderness and frustration.

In between following the family's development we're also given shorter snippets about Lincoln's personal and political life. This serves as an interesting counterpoint because, just as things could have turned out differently for John, the same is true of Lincoln who was a politically moderate figure in the right place at the right time to become a presidential candidate. Only through his astute reasoning did he decide that the country could not continue and progress while slavery was legal. However, he wasn't certain about whether Whites and African Americans could co-exist in America. Of course, the Emancipation Proclamation was met with a lot of opposition and the issue of slavery embroiled the country in a deadly civil war. But in the novel we see how things could have so easily turned out differently. Additionally the narrative follows the story of an African American family acquainted with the Booths who endeavour over a period of many many years to buy freedom for each of its members. This is only a peripheral strand of the novel but it crucially shows that whatever struggles the Booths encountered, the struggle of many black people in the country was dire. The questions being debated weren't merely political but very personal.

The novel illuminates a number of compelling historical details about the nature of life at the time from conditions in the home to the difficulty of travel before a better infrastructure was in place. Because of Julius and many of his sons' involvement in the theatre there is also an interesting look at the position of theatres within American society at the time. Equally, there was as much drama back stage and in the audience as on the stage itself. I enjoyed the inclusion of Adam, a gay theatre critic who becomes acquainted with the family, and the odd tension which arises between him and Edwin Booth. The novel also illuminates a number of larger historical facts which I wasn't previously aware of such as the distinction between owning and leasing slaves, the harrowing events/tragedy of The Dakota War and the fact that Maryland's state song included derogatory lyrics about Lincoln. It took more than ten attempts over forty years for both houses of the General Assembly to finally vote to abandon this song in 2021.

Does this novel give the definitive reason for John's extremism? Like most shocking occurrences, it shows how there is no one single cause but a multitude of influences and factors which led to this tragedy. Just like his elder sister Rosalie we're left asking “what if” and wonder how events might have turned out very differently. There's no way to control the past or its consequences. Instead, Fowler shows the hidden complexities of the past and the nuance of personalities who could easily be flattened into certain types. Like all great historical fiction, this story breathes life into the past and imaginatively fills in the gaps between known facts to show we're not disconnected from history. John Wilkes Booth might be anyone's brother and the violence which occurred following a monumental readjustment of power in the US will likely happen again.

The Lonely Girl by Edna O'Brien

It's such a pleasure following this continuing drama about two Irish country girls who are now young women dealing with very adult problems. The story picks up two years after the end of “The Country Girls” when Cait and her spirited friend Baba are living in rented accommodation in Dublin. Both are working and enjoying their status as independent women in the city free from the constraints of family and the religious school of their youth. But, while Baba is consumed with flirting and partying, Cait has recovered from her misjudged romance in the first book and now embarks on a perilous new relationship with Eugene, an older man and documentary filmmaker. They grapple with intimacy and move into his house together though it's still crowded with memories of his first wife (reminiscent of “Rebecca”). Meanwhile, a series of anonymous letters makes Cait's father aware of the perceived inappropriateness of her relations with Eugene. Suddenly she finds herself in danger of being trapped in the constrained family life she thought she'd been freed from. It's a story filled with tense conflict and complex emotions as it charts Cait's continuing development. There are also numerous deliciously funny scenes and heartbreaking moments as Cait struggles to maintain her autonomy and articulate her desires.

While the narrative is primarily concerned with Cait and Baba's current issues it's touching how Cait continues to occasionally reflects upon her childhood and lost mother. There's a tragic moment when she recalls how she never saw her mother happy or even laugh. It adds to the sense of what dreary circumstances her poor mum endured and compounds the sense of grief Cait carries about her loss. She's confronted by blatant hypocrisy from conservative members of society including a priest who excuses her father's excessive drinking because of the climate. While we spend the majority of the story with Cait we also get some interesting insights into Baba's life and how startlingly blasé she is about a pregnancy scare. It's clever though how the narrative hints at more tender emotions beneath her hard exterior especially when it comes to how desperately she wants Cait to accompany her to London. There's also the intriguing mystery of who sent the anonymous letters to Cait and her father. I'm curious if this will ever be resolved or if it will remain a malicious act from the shadows.

There's a very dramatic confrontation at Eugene's house when Cait's father and his friends attempt to retrieve her. More than the tense scene this creates, it feels like a clash between two different factions of Irish society with results which are violent and absurd. The father's cohorts express distinct nationalistic sentiments and paranoia about “foreigners”. It's also telling how both sides seem more concerned with their own self righteousness than Cait's actual welfare. Cait's continuing feelings of guilt and her sympathetic uncertainty about what she really wants in life seem only natural. Her emotional seriousness is counterbalanced so well with Baba's freewheeling attitude. Every time Baba appears her cutting dialogue, eye rolling impatience with Cait and odd pretensions are always hilarious. There are eerie parallels between the ends of the first and second novels where Cait longingly waits for a man's arrival, but this new instalment ends on a much more hopeful note. It leaves me eager to find out where their lives lead next.

The Booker Prize 2022 Longlist

It's heeeere! The 13 novels longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize have been announced. A new video is up on my YouTube channel discussing all these books.

Some I'm thrilled to see and some are surprises. I predicted only 3 but I've read 6 of them and I'm eager to explore more of these novels!

The judges considered 169 submissions to arrive at this list. Amongst these authors are the youngest and oldest authors to ever be listed for the Booker. Leila Mottley just turned 20 last month and Alan Garner is 88. There are also 3 debuts.Amongst the authors are 6 Americans, 3 British, 2 Irish, 1 Zimbabwean and 1 Sri Lankan. It's a shame there aren't any Australian, New Zealand, Canadian or Indian authors represented.

I'm very excited “Glory” by NoViolet Bulawayo, “The Trees” by Percival Everett, “Small Things Like These” by Claire Keegan, “The Colony” by Audrey Magee & “Nightcrawling” by Leila Mottley listed. All inventive, moving and utterly enthralling stories. I'm going to say it now... while I love Elizabeth Strout's writing I don't think “Oh William!” is her best so I was quite shocked to see it listed but feel free to argue with me.

I'm most looking forward to reading “Booth” by Karen Joy Fowler, “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida” by Shehan Karunatilaka & “After Sappho” by Selby Wynn Schwartz but if I have time I'm hoping to get to all the titles I've not read yet.

It’s really difficult to see what books might be frontrunners to win this early on especially since I’ve not read all of them yet. But if I had to make a guess I think “Glory” or “Small Things Like These” have a strong chance of taking the crown.

What do you think of the list? Any favourites, disappointments or books you're looking forward to?

Let the games (and reading) begin!