2023 TOB Longlist!

[Audra]

Jason wrote: "Three people on Discord really seem to like Manhunt."

Speaking of Discord, is that where things will be?

[Tim]

Phyllis wrote: "Much more of a book you could just drop into anywhere and read a little, it seemed to me, if you were entranced by the prose."

Hmm. In my experience, it was the opposite of a drop-in anywhere book. It was an immerse yourself in it and read it all in one sitting if you can (I couldn't, but would have; I was close).

The events of the book weren't linear, and parts would recur here or continue there or have their antecedents show up subsequent. The prose would echo. So being able to hold it all in your head at once was really critical for absorbing it. The "Checkout 19" of the title shows up on page 70-something...and then again on page 140-something. So was hearing the voice. Yes. Yes. That was important too. We had to hear the voice.

I totally understand it isn't everyone's cuppa, but it was for me what the best of the tournament is: it introduced me to something new that the novel could do. (Maybe Claire-Louise Bennett is walking a trail that others have blazed for her, I don't know, but I hadn't been down this path before.)

Definitely not the same-old same-old. And I wish I could have had at least one day to lament its loss at the hands of an insensitive judge.

[Kyle]

I also am glad Checkout 19 found its fans. It's not my favorite by any stretch, but it had some thought-provoking moments.

I will say that if you're looking for something more 'out there' in terms of writing... I just finished "My Volcano" and have no idea what to think of it. It is bizarre.

[Kip]

For those who netgalley, the audiobook for The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida was put on the site today, I do not know how lenient they will be with approvals. I am currently reading it in print, and I am really enjoying it.

[Bretnie]

I just finished Mouth to Mouth and something about it reminded me of last year's Intimacies, which I loved. It's an odd little book, and even though I haven't read The Passenger yet, should make for a totally different matchup against Cormac McCarthy.

[Bretnie]

Oh and a reminder that zombie voting ends tomorrow! It came so fast!
https://themorningnews.org/article/th...

[Peggy]

Thank you thank you for this reminder Bretnie or I would've missed my chance to vote and then castigate myself for not voting for something else. Good times. ;)

[Bretnie]

Peggy wrote: "Thank you thank you for this reminder Bretnie or I would've missed my chance to vote and then castigate myself for not voting for something else. Good times. ;)"

Ha exactly! You can't regret your vote unless you vote!

[Jason]

Vulture named Manhunt their #1 book of the year.

[Bretnie]

Amy or other moderators, if I have time this weekend I could set up new threads for the individual books if people are interested in discussing. I think I have the ability to do that without any new permissions but didn't want to step on any toes :)

(I'm halfway through 2am in Little America and have thoughts... and I want other people's thoughts...)

[Lauren]

Bretnie wrote: "Oh and a reminder that zombie voting ends tomorrow! It came so fast!
https://themorningnews.org/article/th..."

Oh no, I'm so sad I missed it! I've had an extremely overwhelming schedule with almost no time on my laptop so I didn't see this reminder in time. :(

[Bryn]

Bretnie I finished 2 am in Little America last night and I too have thoughts. I will write them before the end of the day!

[Nadine in NY]

I don't remember. When do they announce the zombie "winner"

[Phyllis]

Nadine in NY wrote: "I don't remember. When do they announce the zombie "winner""

If I'm remembering correctly, at the end of the opening round (so 9th day of the tournament) they let us know which of the losing books still have the possibility of returning as a zombie. Then for all rounds after that, they tell us whether the loser is gone for good.

[Bryn]

I just wrote my review while sitting in the airport bar! Yay going away for the holidays. I did not like 2 am in Little America. I didn’t like that the description of conflict in the US completely disregarded the reasons for the conflict and I did not like the treatment of women. A rare 2 star book. Just not for me.

[Bretnie]

Bryn wrote: "Bretnie I finished 2 am in Little America last night and I too have thoughts. I will write them before the end of the day!"

Maybe I'll just go for it and set up threads... hopefully that's ok with the mods!

Edited to add: I started a new Shortlist thread, and started setting up the individual book threads but am now getting a "Please Try Again Later" message so I'll try again later lol.

[Lauren]

Bretnie wrote: "Bryn wrote: "Bretnie I finished 2 am in Little America last night and I too have thoughts. I will write them before the end of the day!"

Maybe I'll just go for it and set up threads... hopefully t..."

As a mod really short on time, I'm grateful for your help with this! I think Goodreads has limits on how many new threads you can add each day, so it's ok if it takes a few days to get all the books their own thread. Thanks again!

[Bretnie]

Lauren wrote: "I think Goodreads has limits on how many new threads you can add each day"

Maybe I'll just go for it and set up thread..."

Darn, I should have started with 2 am in Little America, ha! But thanks Lauren, I'll keep trying!

[Nadine in NY]

Bretnie wrote: "now getting a "Please Try Again Later" message so I'll try again later..."


yeah that "feature" is DEEPLY annoying, isn't it?! The time they make you wait is somewhere between 2.5 & 3 hours (it seems to be a little less than 3 full hours), you can post 3 posts at a time and then come back every 3 hours and you can post 3 more.

[Bretnie]

Nadine in NY wrote: "Bretnie wrote: "now getting a "Please Try Again Later" message so I'll try again later..."


yeah that "feature" is DEEPLY annoying, isn't it?! The time they make you wait is somewhere between 2.5 ..."

Thanks for this Nadine! Set the 3 hour timer to add three every three hours :) I should be able to set up all 18 by the end of the day, but if anyone else wants to help set up new threads I've just been going alphabetically down the list (although it looks like I just skipped Mouth to Mouth with my next batch).

[Ruthiella]

Tim wrote: "Later on we had 18 books to read. Later on. After the shortlist came out at last. Loads of books. Not as many as the longlist. No. No. Not as many. We sat there with them on our nightstand. Our TBR..."

Thanks Tim, that was awesome. It reminded me, however, of how much Bennett's writing is not for me.

[Kyle]

Taking a break from shortlisters, I started "Now is Not the Time to Panic" - if nothing else I was pretty sure Kevin Wilson wouldn't disappoint. And he doesn't. It's quite good so far.

[Alison]

Kyle wrote: "Taking a break from shortlisters, I started "Now is Not the Time to Panic" - if nothing else I was pretty sure Kevin Wilson wouldn't disappoint. And he doesn't. It's quite good so far."

I really enjoyed that one. I'm sorry it didn't make the tournament.

I just finished another of the longlist -- A Very Nice Girl, which is exactly the kind of book I love; it features a protagonist who is studying to be an opera singer, with all the details of what that entails, while also being the story of how a bad choice, when combined with a fairly precarious life, can derail everything.

[Nadine in NY]

Kyle wrote: "Taking a break from shortlisters, I started "Now is Not the Time to Panic" - if nothing else I was pretty sure Kevin Wilson wouldn't disappoint. And he doesn't. It's quite good so far."



I'm definitely planning to read that - I'll get to it later this year.

[Audra]

If I Survive You and The Employees are both very good.

[Elizabeth]

Kyle wrote: "Taking a break from shortlisters, I started "Now is Not the Time to Panic" - if nothing else I was pretty sure Kevin Wilson wouldn't disappoint. And he doesn't. It's quite good so far."

I'm listening to it now (Libby) and even though for me the story isn't all that special, I'm really enjoying it as well. I recognize his voice in the writing, his books are so easy to just fall into, the humor and heart.

[Peggy]

I'm starting Toad now and have high hopes. Geek Love is an all-time fave!

[Nadine in California]

Peggy wrote: "I'm starting Toad now and have high hopes. Geek Love is an all-time fave!"

Looking forward to your review, Peggy. I saw this on the 'new books' shelf at the library but had to pass it up because my arms were already too full for my walk home. What was I thinking not bringing my backpack? Like I was really going to walk out of there with my hold shelf books.