stargazer

Sunday Post: Miserable March, Women’s Prize and Blogging Anniversary

Last March, I wrote about spring and posted photos with sunshine and daffodils in London. This year, March has so far been cold and miserable. We even had a bit of snow, which obviously played havoc with trains, planes and other infrastructure. To top it all, I was unwell for 1 1/2 days, which of course isn’t a big deal. But for many years I haven’t had as much as a cold and I started to think I’d gained some sort of super immunity. Ah well, at least we got that silly notion out of the way…

Tuesday this week, the longlist for Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023 was announced. I always look forward to this prize, which tends to be quite a big deal in the bookish community.

Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023, longlist

For a few words about each book, see the announcement video:

Similar to last year, the longlist consists of many relatively unknown titles. I wonder to what extent that is due to the publishers as opposed to the judges. It isn’t made public, which books are actually submitted for the prize. Each publisher imprint may submit max 1-2 titles depending on their size. So reader favourites such as Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow, which already had a fair share of buzz, may not even have been submitted. Potentially, giving an unknown author a chance for a place in the limelight is more beneficial to the publisher? Who knows. But it’s a fact that 9 out of the 16 longlisted novels are debuts.

Previously shortlisted authors get a free pass, which may explain why the two heavyweights Maggie O’Farrell and Barbara Kingsolver are included.

Anyway, I look forward to sampling the list. Like previous years, I will probably select a couple of books. And I don’t have to stick to the more established publications. Audible’s co-sponsoring of the prize means that – opposite previous years – all longlisted books are available on audio. Yay!

When skimming the blurbs, the novels below caught my attention. However, quite a few others could potentially be interesting as well. So I will keep an eye on the reviews and decide as we go along.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver: Kingsolver’s retelling of David Copperfield, set in the southern Appalachian Mountains, has already been named an early favourite for this year’s prize. Suspiciously, the audiobook was Audible’s Daily Deal on the day, the longlist was announced and I used the opportunity to download it.

Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin: After the last American troops leave Vietnam, siblings Anh, Thanh and Minh flee their village and eventually arrive in Thatcher’s England where they have to figure out how to build new lives in a place that doesn’t seem to want them. Sounds like this could be a heartbreaking story.

Homesick by Jennifer Croft: Croft is a prize-winning translator, who has translated Olga Tokarczuk’s novels Flights and Books of Jacob. Homesick, her first novel, is a coming of age story, which explores themes around language in its many forms and healing through words. Originally written in Spanish, the novel has later been rewritten in English and isn’t therefore translated. There has also been some confusion about whether this is a memoir or a novel. However, I think it sounds interesting and want to give it a try.

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff: Geeta is believed to have killed her vanished husband – a rumour she hasn’t bothered trying to correct, because a reputation like that can keep a single woman safe in rural India. However, soon other women approach her to get help to kill off their own husbands. Do I need to say more? This is one of the most intriguing premises I’ve come across in a while.

Blogging Anniversary

I can’t believe, I’ve been blogging for four years! It still feels like I’m fumbling around, trying to find my blogging feet. Anyway, at least it has been fun! If I make it to my fifth anniversary, I will do the big stats post. Or maybe the “what I’ve learned from blogging” post?

Wish you all a lovely Sunday!

The Sunday Post is hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer.

36 comments

  1. Happy Blogiversary Stargazer! It has certainly been a miserable month of weather so far and it doesn’t look like changing in the second half of March either. Ah well. Glad you’re feeling well again at least 😊 Spring is just around the corner!

    • Thanks Sandra! Yes, we could use a bit of sunshine, couldn’t we? Hopefully, it really is just around the corner! 😊

  2. Happy Blogoversary! I liked the sound of Bandit Queens – I enjoy Indian novels, & have added it to my ever-lengthening Wish List.

    • Thanks so much! I haven’t read many novels set in India, but I really look forward to Bandit Queens. Let me know, if there are any Indian novels, you would recommend in particular.

    • Thanks Nicki! 😊 It never fails to amaze me how time flies…. I will definitely write a review, once I’ve read The Bandit Queens!

    • Thanks so much! I haven’t read any of them either… Hope you will enjoy the winner this year as well – let’s see if it turns out to be Demon Copperhead.

  5. Happy Blogging anniversary! I’m glad to have found your posts – always interesting. Like you, the novel I may look for first might be the Jennifer Croft:. But it may well be that I read first the ones I can get hold of, as usual.

    • Thanks Margaret! 😊 Yes, availability is an issue with these books. I know, your library is better than mine, so maybe you have more luck. I will probably have to buy some audiobook credits to spend.

    • Glad you enjoyed it. I haven’t read much from Maggie O’Farrell, but I would probably prefer to read Hamnet before The Marriage Portrait.

  7. Happy blogoversary! I just came over from the Sunday Post and read your post on The Birds. It’s a favorite movie of mine but I’ve never read the story…

    • Thanks! The story The Birds is very different from the movie. I like both of them, but would definitely recommend to read the short story as well. I still can’t comment on your posts, but loved the art work in your latest Sunday Post!👍

        • I’ve tried to comment on your blog from my tablet. I managed to log on to my google account, which was progress compared to using my laptop. I still don’t see my comment, but maybe it needs to be approved or something.

    • Thank you! I am curious as well, but I doubt, I’ll read the full longlist.

    • Thanks Lashaan, it feels like a bit of a milestone. It has certainly been fun to write and to be part of the blogging community!

  13. Congratulations! We’ve enjoyed reading you throughout all those years 🙂 Keep it up, and let us know what you think of those books you’ve chosen to read!

    • Thanks so much! It has turned out to be an enjoyable hobby and I’ve learned a lot as well!

  14. Happy Blogiversary! I’ve got Bandit Queens on my TBR and have a hold on Wandering Souls at my library. Can’t wait to read both!

    • Thank you! Ah, that is great – I look forward to hear what you think about those two!

  15. Happy 4th blogging anniversary! I am about to start ‘The Dog of the North’ with my book club. Will be interesting to see what the shortlist looks like.

    • Thanks! I didn’t think The Dog of the North had been published yet – or did it just come out? In any case, I haven’t seen many opinions yet, so I hope you will write a review.

  16. Happy blogging anniversary. 4 years is good! I’d like to know what you’ve learned while doing it. There’s still time for that post! Isn’t it wild … how many on the longlist are quite unknown books … maybe even obscure. I look forward to hearing what you think of those on your list to read. My book club just picked Demon Copperhead for our May discussion, so I’ll try to get a handle on that one – which likely is the favorite to win? Who knows. Have a great week. Glad your illness is over!

    • Thanks Susan! I will consider how to celebrate 5 years of blogging – if I ever get there! Yes, it was strange how many lesser known publications were on the list. I watched / read quite a lot predictions of the longlist and most people only got a couple of books right. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the selected books are bad and I look forward to sampling the longlist. Yes, I believe Demon Copperhead is one of the favourites, although some people think, it may go against her, that she won the prize before (The Lacuna). Have a great week as well!

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