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Hello I’ve just found you This video format is brilliant thank you

I loved My Friends and really appreciated Stone Yard Devotional (I had low expectations). I probably won't read Held.

Stone yard devotional still appeals and you’ve sold held to me here.

I’ve been looking forward to hearing your thoughts on these! I’ve just finished Stone Yard Devotional and Held, in that order. Really enjoyed Stone Yard Devotional - I was more emotionally invested by the end than I expected to be given the narrative style. And I felt similarly to you about Held. I was worried it was just me not getting it 😂 for me it was too fragmented, I had to work too hard to bring the threads together to understand their purpose (if there was one, perhaps this is partly how I was missing the point), especially in the 2nd half. It took away from the enjoyment of the book for me. Onto Headshot next!

The Donal Ryan is straightforwardly a sequel - it catches up with exactly the same characters (and in exactly the same order). You could just about read it on its own but It'd be a bit daft.

The desire to take a break from life and reality is such a vibe right now. It's not what I read about a lot, but feel like a lot. :D Also isn't that what a lot of the digital namadism is about?

Three great reviews (which I enjoyed with a glass of Sancerre). Agree completely on both My Friends (including the small quibbles) and Held. I have James at the top of my list with My Friends right behind and three books still to go, including Stone Yard Devotional, which I am really looking forward to, even more so after hearing your thoughts. I’m quite enthusiastic about this year’s longlist.

Thanks!

Thanks for continuing to to review Booker books. Hopefully My Friends will bit a hit for me. Sadly, so far, the long list has not had any books I'm fond of.

Always good to hear your thoughts. I definitely will try My Friends & also Stoneyard Devotional ❤

Many Thanks, I always enjoy your reviews ! With regards to Hisham Matar, I much prefer his book “Anatomy of a disappearance”, but I also read “ My Friends” avidly as soon as it came out. It is very good but had a few negatives for me: I found all woman characters terribly bland and interchangeable, I disliked the way he judged English people (I am not one of them) and the novel was somewhat stagnant in the middle part. In terms of the friends I felt that Mustafa was less well drawn and a bit artificial. For these reasons, it was more a four star book for me, but I will still read all Matar’s Books as soon as they are available.

I still need to read Stone Yard Devotional and I’m currently reading Held so I’ve skipped over your thoughts of those at the moment and will return after I’ve read them. But I’m SO happy you feel so positively about My Friends and enjoyed your thoughts and reflections on it. Totally agree about how the different forms his friendships take are very realistic. You’ve made me want to reread it in audio form.

Looking for the audio for My Friends--audible only--boohoo. May use my lone credit or chose to read instead. Just finished reading Ascension by MacInnes (also an Audible only book that I read). Found this more thought than action and had a hard time with it. There were points of intrigue but most was brain poking, think about this for awhile--to the point I was often pulled out of what little story there was. It started great and ended pretty good but a lot in between lost me. Will see how it settles as I am still thinking about what I read. Have Soldier, Sailor and will be picking that up soon, As you can see I'm still trying to get through last year's Booker. Thanks for great reviews.

Hi Ben, I am not sure how to formulate this question without sounding too judgemental 😅 but I am surprised you support Amazon in this way. I understand the temptation of a good deal, but local, independent bookstores are so important for a healthy book culture. Very curious to hear your thoughts on the role Amazon plays in the book industry and the competition between Amazon and independent bookstores?

Excellent, I'm about to start My Friends

📖🪱💚

loved your thoughts on My Friends! need to pick it up!

I had a similar experience with Anne Michael's Fugitive Peices as you have had with Held. Beautifully poetic language but ultimately disjointed and hard to get through. I ended up dnfing it at about 75%....which is rare for me. I think I will give that one a miss. Stone Yard Devotional and My Friends sound wonderful. I look forward to reading both. I have actually started my Booker reading by reading There There, before getting to Wandering Stars. I can't remember if you have read There There, but if you haven't, I really recommend reading it first. I know it isn't essential, but it makes for such a richer experience.

okay, I’m sold on My Friends! yow!

I've just finished Held and completely agree - really liked the first half of the book although I wasn't emotionally connected. But the later especially with Marie Curie I had no idea how they linked in and so although very nicely written it just didn't work for me

I think I might pick up the Stone Yard Devotional !! I thought it looked a little spooky too but as a Christian I think I’d find that premise really interesting - someone doing religious things without actually believing! 🫶 loving your videos!!

I’ve only read My Friends from these three, but we already disagree 😂😂 I’m hoping that I’ll like Stone Yard Devotional, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to hate Held 😂

I’ve read 3 have 3 more on my tbr x

Great reviews Ben - I've read James and My Friends from the longlist and very hard to pick one over the other - looooved both so much. Slight hesitancy on reading the others as I don't think any will surpass either James or My Friends.

As always, great reviews. Just thought that I should mention that there was an actual Mouse Plague in Oz in 2020, not just a biblical reference point. Have just finished The Keepsake and really enjoyed it.

Your reviews are so well written. Love the museum analogy

I've been hesitant about My Friends but you're selling it so well here. I'm also glad to hear about Stone Yard Devotional; I think this is the first review I've heard for that one. Thanks for the great reviews!

I agree with you on Held. I was quite engaged with the first story line about John but after that the time periods and characters jumped around too much, I got a bit confused about the connections. I did think the writing was lovely, and I enjoyed the theme of creating something - memories predominantly - out of invisible things like light. But ultimately it lost me.

I borrowed Stone Yard Devotional from Libby today and put My Friends on the list after hearing your thoughts on both books. Great reviews: you make the stories come alive.

What is your favorite book so far from the long list?

You’ve sold me on My Friends and I was on the fence about buying that one!

I listened to Held when it was first released in Canada and I loved it. I am planning to reread the physical copy soon. But first, I will read My Friends. Very much looking forward to it after hearing your review.

I finished the audio of My Friends last night. It’s now my favourite of the 5 I’ve read. Second would be Wild Houses. Third is Stone Yard Devotional. Orbital was ok. Enlightenment was disappointing. I’m struggling through The Safekeep.

Ok you’ve sold me on My Friends - I had steered away from it having not enjoyed a previous book by this author but I’m willing to have another go. 😊 Great reviews all round!

So glad you liked My Friends as much as I did - such a special book!

I finished Held and loved its dreamy vignettes and jumping around in time, and your analogy of a museum and galleries is very fitting. I did want to start it all over as soon as I finished it, feeling the connections would intensify and become clearer, but a reread will need to wait for another time. My Friends is next on my Booker docket and your reception and others has me very excited to jump in!

Oh Ben! What a fantastic review of My Friends! You really nailed it! It is my favorite of the books I have read on the longlist so far. (8) I hope it wins! Gorgeous and important. 5 Plus stars (I reserve 5 Plus for only the very best of the very best.)

I'm drinking Porta 6. Cheers 🍷

Cape Expectations 🤣

Thank you so much Ben for all the work you put into this video!❤️

This is so much fun as always, thank you! And ‘the Claire Keegan school of economics’ got me 😂

The "Claire Keegan School of Economics" indeed! The publishers have become so cheeky. Remember the Penguin 60s from back in the day? (You may be too young...) I feel that would be a better format for these very short 'novellas'

I admire people who read novels.

I'm really loving this series!

loved this as usual!

Wow, this video is an absolute gem! I’ll have to go back and watch this again some time soon. There are just too many interesting books for me to be able to remember them all 😅

Thanks for uploading the video, even with your busy schedule! I usually don’t get my hopes up with book-to-movie adaptations-imagination’s just better.

Elif Shafak is one of my favourite writers so looking forward to reading her new book...which you are not interested in reading??

Thank you for the August news . Some interesting new releases. I have recently got James .

Love, love, love this format! So sorry to hear about the Liverpool library. Thanks for sharing the link for the fundraiser.