Getting to Know You

[WndyJW]

Welcome, Michel. Nice to have you join the group!

[Henk]

Hi all, I joined the group with the announcement of the longlist of the Bookerprize 2021. I love to read (duh), am 30 years old and am from The Netherlands.
Favorite authors are David Mitchell, Jonathan Safran Foer, Margaret Atwood, Michael Cunningham and Jeanette Winterson.
Nice to see so many passionate discussions on books here!

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Welcome to the group Henk

[Henk]

Thanks, I see quite a few familiar faces/profiles here ;-)

[Debra]

Hello Henk! Welcome to the group!

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

I must admit I thought you had been as member for a long time

[Sam]

Henk, Welcome! I thought you a member as well. I have quoted from your reviews on the forum.

[David]

Hi - I'm David. I joined the group a few weeks ago and have really enjoyed the Booker discussions. It seems like a lot of people here share my tastes - fiction on the more literary/innovative end of the spectrum with a soft spot for small presses. I'm 39 (for one more week...) and live in Chicago. When I'm not reading, my day job is as an intellectual property lawyer. Nice to meet everyone!

[Paul]

Welcome David and your contributions to the discussions have been much appreciated.

[Hugh, Active moderator]

Welcome David

[Henk]

Welcome!

[Debra]

Welcome David!

[WndyJW]

David, we’re neighbors relative to the the hometowns of the members here. It’s great to have you in the group!

Do you have any US indie presses you think are putting out work as good as UK based Fitzcarraldo, Peirene, Charco, Galley Beggar and others?

I’ll be in Columbus (in a state of terrible anxiety!) in three weeks and plan on spending some time and stress shopping in Two Dollar Radio bookstore.

[Ruth]

Welcome David. I am also enjoying the Booker discussions and follow them closely. This group is changing my reading habits and I’m enjoying the process. Hope that you will keep contributing (and won’t be a fly on the wall like me majority of the time).

[WndyJW]

Ruth, pop off the wall and join the discussions!

[David]

WndyJW wrote: "David, we’re neighbors relative to the the hometowns of the members here. It’s great to have you in the group!

Do you have any US indie presses you think are putting out work as good as UK based F..."

Thanks, all!

Wendy, some of my favorite US publishers are Milkweed (mostly for poetry), Bellevue, Coffee House, Graywolf, and Tin House. I'm sure I'm leaving others off the list.

I'll certainly have to check out Two Dollar Radio the next time I'm in Cbus. I just googled them and their webpage starts with the message: "Our books and films aren't for everyone." Sounds like my kind of vibe.

[WndyJW]

I liked Graywolf and Tin House, too. New Direction publishes a lot of the books Fitzcarraldo publishes so I would save in shipping, but I love the (dinged up) cobalt blue covers of Fitzcarraldo.

I subscribe to Open Letter Books and Two Line, but I’m not renewing Two Line. I know the books are good, but the curator of Two Lines and I don’t share the same taste in books. I’m sadly still far fonder of the UK presses and so have more subscriptions to their presses.

[Simon]

Hey everyone, I'm Simon and have recently joined the group. I've been dipping into posts here on the Booker Prizes for the last couple of years and have decided to finally sign up to goodreads so that I can post some thoughts.

I love reading: all sorts of things and expanding my range. But as reading is a fairly solitary activity it is great to also use it to connect with others.

I tend to like fiction which is philosophical/fantastical/lyrical/original. I also have a specialism in historical and academic theology. As for what I don't like...the Booker International longlist for 2020 which I read in full.

I will try and yet a profile picture on so I look less ghostly.

[David]

Welcome, Simon!

[David]

WndyJW wrote: "I liked Graywolf and Tin House, too. New Direction publishes a lot of the books Fitzcarraldo publishes so I would save in shipping, but I love the (dinged up) cobalt blue covers of Fitzcarraldo.

I..."

Do you have any other subscriptions to recommend? US or UK or elsewhere. (Not sure if this is the thread for that.) I recently started the RoC subscription and would be interested in recommendations for others.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Welcome Simon - what was it you disliked about the 2020 International Booker?

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

David may be best to check out the Favourite Presses folder and the various threads there.

[WndyJW]

I think most of us agree Fitzcarraldo Editions is a very good press, Peirene Press publishes books meant to be read in an evening, and feel like a good indie film; I have yet to read one that I didn’t really like.
Galley Beggar are fans of modernism and although they only publish about 4 books a year, they are usually met with positive reviews and a few have been award winning.
Salt and Bluemoose are good. Their books are good stories, well written.
Charco publishes Latin American translations and is a popular with most of us.
One of my other personal favorites is Istros Books, they publish Eastern European translations. Another press that has yet to disappoint.
Weatherglass Books is a new press created by the brains behind RofC. They’ve only publishes two books so far, but two more are upcoming.
RofC was a great choice, they let you know ahead of time what books you’re getting so you don’t buy them.
Asymptote is like RofC, but Asymptote doesn’t let you know what’s coming in the next few months.
If you are a book lover as well as an avid reader check out Henningham Family Press, they make what they call performance books by hand.
Unbound gives let’s you choose books to sponsor. I have paid for 3 or 4 books that I have yet to receive because the books aren’t started until they are funded.
I also subscribed to nyrb classics club again because they had a great sale.
Do check out the Favorite Press thread to see the presses others here like.
I subscribe to Fitzcarraldo, Galley Beggar, nyrb, Weatherglass books, (but the “founding subscription” was for only two books,) Open Letter, Asymptote, RofC, and Two Lines.

[Simon]

Thanks GY - as I remember it the 2020 International Booker featured lots of books about the experience of trauma and the cumulative effect of reading all those books in a row was very dark. I don't mind challenging books like that in isolation but by the end I felt that it was a competition to find the most harrowing fictional depiction of life on earth.

[WndyJW]

I think some of us commented on how dark that list was at the time as well, Simon. And welcome to the group!

[Tommi]

Great to see many new members joining in, welcome everybody! I started out by lurking a few years ago, but looks like I’m getting closer to my 500th message soon.

[Paul]

Wendy’s overview of recommended subscriptions is pretty comprehensive.

I would add Les Fugitives who publish feminist Francophone literary fiction, and are excellent, although for US based readers they usually co-publish with a US press (eg Dorothy Project).

I subscribe to the RoC and then Charco, Fitzcarraldo, Influx, Nordisk, Les Fugitives, Peirene and Weatherglass.

Two I don’t subscribe to at present but are strong are Tilted Axis and And Other Stories.

[Robert]

ah! Influx press. During the first year of their subscription service, the choices were ok, however this year they outdid themselves. This publisher excels at transgressive fiction and unearthing quirky novels that are only found in the States. Hopefully for year three they'll continue in the same vein.

Has Dead Ink been mentioned? Also I think Fum D'estampa have a subscription service as well (correct me if I'm wrong)

[WndyJW]

I didn’t realize that about Influx Press. Maybe I’ll subscribe to them instead of another press. I hate to say anything negative about a successful indie, in my case with one of the presses it’s definitely me, not them!

[Paul]

Influx also have a pick which books you want subscription or you essentially pre order a number of named books. I rather like those arrangements.

[WndyJW]

That is a real advantage!

[David]

Thanks, all, for the (very helpful) thoughts on subscriptions! There are definitely more options than I have time/budget for :)

[Paul]

Have a read of the individual publisher threads and also look at their recent / forthcoming books to see if they appeal.

In the UK I would say the two that tend to win big prizes are Galley Beggar (for anglophone literature) and Fitzcarraldo (for translations).

[WndyJW]

And subscriptions aren’t necessary to buy the individual books that appeal to you.

[David]

Hi everyone, I'm David. I am taking tentative steps back into Goodreads after several years away. I thought I'd join this group because I know a few members from elsewhere online, and it seems my sort of place.

In terms of literary prizes, I tend to follow the Goldsmiths, Republic of Consciousness, and International Booker. That also sums up the kinds of books I most often read: plenty in translation, plenty from small presses, and I like fiction that's unconventional in some way.

I look forward to talking about books with you!

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Welcome David - I am pretty sure if you trawl through old posts you will find ones discussing your reviews of some books or your predictions for Goldsmith shortlists as a number here follow you on Twitter and elsewhere

[Hugh, Active moderator]

Welcome David - good to see you here

[David]

Welcome, David!

[Paul]

Great to see you hear David - and I've enjoyed our discussions at the Zoom calls for the Republic of Consciousness book club the last two months. The next book, Occupation, I also found fascinating.

[Henk]

Welcome David!

[WndyJW]

Hi David, I think we follow each other on Instagram. In spite of the vast reach of social media bookish Twitter/Instagram/Goodreads feels like a small world. Good to see you here!

[peg]

This Booktube video was just posted about our great leader Trevor

https://youtu.be/CVch2Pb6rl4

See my comment below the video. Don’t know where to post this so move if necessary Trevor…..you are the best!

[WndyJW]

Thanks, Peg.

[[deleted user]]

Hi all, new member here thanks to David for the invite.

My internet handle is BookWormM or BookWormy depending on where I am online. I am based in the UK and will happily read anything and everything.

Favourite authors include Katherine Kerr, Terry Pratchett, David Mitchell, Margaret Atwood and Haruki Murakami to name a few.

So far I have read 575 of the now 1315 Books to Read Before You Die some of these have been fantastic others have been real doozies.

I have recently finished reading all the books from this year's Booker Longlist and found most of them are strong contenders. How Colony and Bodies didn't make the shortlist I will never know. I am now rooting for Seven Moons.

I am a Netgalley member and blog at www.thereadersroom.org

Looking forward to getting to know everyone.

[Trevor]

Welcome aboard, BookWormy!

[WndyJW]

Hello Book, welcome!

You must have been one of the first to join GR to be able to use Book as your name. You’re an eclectic reader, Katharine Kerr, Terry Pratchett, and Atwood, Murakami.

I look forward to your contributions to our discussions.

[Cindy]

Lovely to meet you BookWormy, and welcome!

[Hugh, Active moderator]

Welcome to the group BookWormy

[WndyJW]

Welcome, Nathan!

Paul, your infamous loathing of long friends has brought us a new member. @nomadliterary on Instagram posted about his love of an exquisitely done novella. I mentioned that a member of my book group loathes long books, nomad, aka Nathan, asked if I was talking about Paul Fulcher! Now he’s joined us.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Welcome Nathan