2025 Booker Shortlist Dynamic Rankings

[Hugh, Active moderator]

Usual rules.

These are the 6 shortlisted books:

Flashlight by Susan Choi (Jonathan Cape)
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai (Hogarth)
Audition by Katie Kitamura (Fern Press)
The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits (Faber & Faber)
The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller (Sceptre)
Flesh by David Szalay (Jonathan Cape)

[Hugh, Active moderator]

League Tables

(i) Shortlist rankings only:

My adjusted weightings method:

Pos, Book, Average, Adjusted, Count, First Places, STD
1, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, 2.71, 1.79, 7, 2, 0.61
2, Audition by Katie Kitamura, 2.25, 1.98, 20, 6, 1.06
3, Flashlight by Susan Choi, 2.65, 2.00, 17, 4, 0.96
4, The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller, 3.23, 2.45, 13, 3, 1.03
5, Flesh by David Szalay, 3.12, 2.58, 17, 4, 1.23
6, The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits, 4.92, 4.07, 12, 0, 1.39

Paul-style aggregate of comparisons

Pos, Book, Average, Relative ranking, Count, First Places
1, Audition by Katie Kitamura, 2.25, 20, 20, 6
2, Flashlight by Susan Choi, 2.65, 11, 17, 4
3, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, 2.71, 8, 7, 2
4, The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller, 3.23, -1, 13, 3
5, Flesh by David Szalay, 3.12, -5, 17, 4
6, The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits, 4.92, -33, 12, 0

(ii) Including longlist rankings:

My adjusted weightings method:

Pos, Book, Average, Adjusted, Count, First Places, STD
1, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, 2.40, 1.45, 10, 3, 0.62
2, Audition by Katie Kitamura, 2.09, 2.00, 55, 21, 1.63
3, The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller, 2.68, 2.18, 31, 8, 1.33
4, Flashlight by Susan Choi, 2.62, 2.22, 37, 12, 1.50
5, Flesh by David Szalay, 2.72, 2.42, 43, 10, 1.58
6, The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits, 4.38, 3.94, 26, 2, 1.86

Paul-style aggregate of comparisons

Pos, Book, Average, Relative ranking, Count, First Places
1, Audition by Katie Kitamura, 2.09, 29, 55, 21
2, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, 2.40, 19, 10, 3
3, The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller, 2.68, 15, 31, 8
4, Flashlight by Susan Choi, 2.62, 9, 37, 12
5, Flesh by David Szalay, 2.72, -6, 43, 10
6, The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits, 4.38, -66, 26, 2

[Laura]

1. Flashlight
2. Audition
3. Flesh
4.
5. The Land in Winter
6. The Rest of Our Lives

[Hugh, Active moderator]

1 The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny
2 Audition
3 Flashlight
4 The Land in Winter
5 The Rest of Our Lives
6 Flesh

[Kathleen]

1. Flashlight
2. Flesh
3. Audition

[Anna]

1. Flesh (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)

****
2. Audition (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
3. Flashlight (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
4. The Rest of our Lives (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
5. The Land in Winter (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
6. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny (Still reading)

[Rose]

1. Audition
2. Flesh
3. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny
4. Flashlight

[Joy D]

1. Audition - 5*
2. Flashlight - 4.5*
3. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny - 4*
4. The Land in Winter - 3*
5. The Rest of Our Lives - 2.5*
6. Flesh - 2*

[Shane]

1. Flashlight
2. Flesh
3. The Loneliness Of Sonia And Sunny
4. The Rest Of Our Lives
5. Audition
6. The Land In Winter

[Emmeline]

1.
2. Flashlight
3.
4. Audition

[James]

1. Flesh
2. The Land in Winter
3. Audition
4.
5.
6.

[Bella (Kiki)]

1. The Land in Winter
2. Audition
3. Flesh
4. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny
5. Flashlight
6. The Rest of Our Lives

I did not like the characters in The Land in Winter, but I think it's the best written book.

[Paul]

1. Audition (6*)

and won't read rest

[Alysson]

1. Audition
2. Flashlight
3. Flesh
4.
5.
6. The rest of our lives

[Anita]

1. Audition
2. Land in Winter
3. Flesh
4. Flashlight
5. The Rest of Our Lives

Definitely plan to try the Desai . . .

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

After two reads - contemplating a third of each book

Audition - 5*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny - 4.5*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Land In Winter - 4*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Flashlight - 4*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Flesh - 3.5*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Rest of Our Lives - 3*
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Robert]

1. Flesh
2. The Land in Winter
3. Flashlight
4. Audition (I see this as the winner but I need to reflect some more and read the Desai)
5. The Rest of Our Lives

[Cindy]

1. The Land in Winter
2. The Rest of Our Lives
3. Audition
4.
5. Flashlight
6. Flesh

No idea where the Desai will slot in here.

[Guille]

1. The Land in Winter
2. Flashlight
3. Audition

[Joe]

1. Flashlight
2. Flesh
3. Audition
4. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny
5. The Land In Winter
6. The Rest of Our Lives

[Henk]

1. The Land in Winter
2. Audition
3. Flashlight
5. The Rest of Our Lives
6. Flesh

[Arun]

1. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny
2. Audition
3. Flesh

[Danielle]

1. Audition
2. Flashlight
3.
4.
5.
6. The Rest of Our Lives

[Gwendolyn]

1.
2. The Land in Winter
3. Flesh
4. Audition
5. Flashlight
6. The Rest of Our Lives

[Joe]

1. Flesh
2. Flashlight
3. Audition
4. The Rest of Our Lives
5. The Land in Winter

[Ann]

1. Audition
2. The Rest of Our Lives
3. Flesh
4. Flashlight
5. The land in Winter

[Susan]

1.
2.
3. Flesh
4.
5. Audition
6.

[Garry]

1. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny
2. Flashlight
3. Audition
4. The Land in Winter
5. Flesh
6. The Rest of Our Lives

[Zelic]

1. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny - 5* (80% complete)

2. Audition - 5*

3. Flesh -5*

4. Flashlight - 3.5*

[Margaret]

1. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny 5*
2. The Land in Winter 4*
3. Flesh 4*
4. Audition 3.5*
5. The Rest of Our Lives 3*
6. Flashlight 2.5*

[Lindsay]

1. The Land in Winter
2. Flashlight
3. Flesh
4. Audition
5. Sonia and Sunny
—————————
6. The Rest of Our Lives