2025 Booker Prize Longlist and Short list

[Carol]

The Booker longlist is out, and there's much discussion around this platform in the usual places. 7 are women authors, bolded below. 9 out of 13 authors are new to the longlist.

https://thebookerprizes.com/everythin...

Love Forms by Trinidadian-Irish author, Claire Adam

The South, the first in a planned quartet of novels, by Malaysian author, Tash Aw.

Universality by British author, Natasha Brown

One Boat by British author, Jonathan Buckley.

Flashlight by American author, Susan Choi

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Indian author and 2006 Book winner, Kiran Desai

Audition by American author, Katie Kitamura

The Rest of Our Lives by British-American author, Benjamin Markovits

The Land in Winter by British author, Andrew Miller

Endling by Canadian (of Ukrainian heritage) author, Maria Reva

Flesh by Canadian author, David Szalay

Seascraper by British author, Benjamin Wood

Misinterpretation by Albanian-American author, Ledia Xhoga

I"m stunned at the striking and elegant variety of covers, particularly in a world where it seems as if the cover trends have been pretty all encompassing over the last 24 months and not in a good way. But then, hey - I am a fan of the brilliant trademark of the Fitzcarraldo covers, too.

I've only read Universality, and recommend it, although I don't think it's as exquisite as Brown's debut, Assembly (which didn't have enough pages to qualify last year - insert eyeroll here). This year, Universality and Audition are the only longlisted books that I've seen and heard about for months. What have you read and enjoyed? I'm particularly interested in hearing anyone's thoughts on Flashlight, Love Forms and Loneliness.

[GailW]

I can't speak for Love Forms yet but I read the author's Golden Child this year and loved it.

I have Endling and Universality but have not read either of them yet. I too loved and recommend Assembly.

[Misty]

I haven't read any of them. Thanks for the list.

[Claire]

I haven't read any, but I had already decided to read Love Forms by Trinidadian author Claire Adams after hearing it recommended on the Irish Times Women's Podcast, Summer Reading Recommendations episode.

I like the sound of Endling and the new Kiran Desai. After reading quite a few reviews, I find a lot of the appear to be experimental in style, which makes me hesitate a little. as usual, I'm more attracted to the cross-cultural titles/authors.

[Krista]

following

[Carol]

And the shortlist:

Flashlight by Susan Choi (American)
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai (Indian)
Audition by Katie Kitamura (American)
The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits (American)
The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller (British)
Flesh by David Szalay (Hungarian-British)

The announcement of which won will occur 10 November. I'm anxiously awaiting my holds of Flashlight and Loneliness to come in at my library, and perversely delighted that the hold lists are so long for each.