What's Next? discussion

I've only just managed to read all 6 shortlisted books before they announce the Booker Prize winner on the 12th Nov. Below is a summarised review of each book in the order I read them

1. Orbital

Personally I'm not a fan of Space, and the overly descriptive illustrations sometimes really put me off in the way that I felt bullied into acknowledging them. I do appreciate the interesting perspectives of the astronauts' lives in the story.

2. James

I have not read Huckleberry Finn, reviewing it as a standalone work, I find the story fun to read, but there aren't any standout qualities that are worth mentioning.

3. Stoneyard Devotional

A surprise page turner for me. The daily monastic style life described in the form of diary entries is intriguing, and the writer has made it easier for readers to ponder life without being too depressive about it. There are a lot of mentions of rats.

4. The Safekeep

Very interesting historical background and story. I find the main protagonist quite unlikable making it hard for me to appreciate the relationships in the book.

5. Held

This is not a novel, more a collection of thoughts and snippets of people who have experienced war. It is not a coherent story (at least not one that I can figure out), and so difficult to follow making it almost unreadable for me.

6. Creation Lake

A fun and thought stimulating book. A 'spy' type story with clever inserts of a lot of philosophical and existential ideas and a bit of ancient history. There are also many LOL moments which I really appreciate. The writer rounded up the ending so well making it almost a perfect read for me.

This is definitely my favourite book out of all 6, my second favourite is Stoneyard Devotional.


This has been a fun exercise for me, especially valuable for exploring works otherwise I would never even consider putting on my to-read list.

Happy Reading My Friends.

Thanks for sharing. Creation Lake is 5-1 odds to win and James is the favorite. I will add Creation Lake to my list!

Huckleberry Finn is part of the American literature canon and taught to most middle school age kids to examine institutionalized racism and themes of freedom, civilization, and prejudice. Given the language in the book, it is also a controversial text to teach.

Its hard to appreciate James without having read Huckleberry Finn.
If James wins, its because the author turns the story upside down by changing the point of view.

We will find out the winner on Tuesday!

Thanks for explaining the significance of Huckleberry Finn in relation to James. I have some idea of what the book is about, but I'm sure it is different from actually reading it. Would love to read HF while James is still fresh on my mind