Steve_Bamlett_blog

Updates: 02/08/2024, 03/ 08/ 2024, 05/08/ 2024, 07/08/24, 10/08/24, 13/08/24, 07/09/24
08/09/2024, 12/08/24 (long-standing error corrected), 16/09/2024 WITH SHORTLIST

Dates added as completed

2024 Booker Longlist – Template for the books I read or intend to read this year. To be edited again after the shortlisting, winning announcement, and of course, as I finish more books

I’m always aiming to keep these lower  each year – but only by not buying unless in 1st impression. I had already read 5 of the longlisted titles. I will not blog on Matar, though I enjoyed it. I have nothing to say about it.

Here’s the 2024 Longlist. I think Lisa Allardice in The Guardian is correct about the importance of this longlist. Read her at this link. I am now just awaiting publication of the as-yet unpublished novels.

Bought (B) – with date – Borrowed (A) Not or Not YET B or A	Date: Start/ Finish	The 2024 longlist is:	Outcome: if blog completed, find URL below. Otherwise either  briefly described in paragraph appended below (numbered). If not reviewed, explanation in this table.
B: On publication	Finished 11/04/24	Tommy Orange (2024) Wandering Stars London, Harvill Secker.	https://livesteven.com/2024/04/12/the-holes-in-tommy-orange-the-authors-account-of-multiple-contemporary-native-american-life-stories-across-time-and-space-this-is-a-blog-on-the-massive-over-significance-of-tommy-orange-20/
B: 5/09/24	Start: 6/09/24 Finished 8/09/24	Rachel Kushner (2024) Creation Lake	https://livesteven.com/2024/09/08/creation-lake-was-the-most-fun-ive-ever-had-doing-anything-in-my-life-said-rachel-kushner-in-a-recent-interview-with-lisa-allardice-this-is-not-a-review-close/?_gl=1*1c14p1m*_gcl_au*MTMwNzAxOTk5Ny4xNzE4MjYxNzM0
B: 30/07/24	Start 06/08/24 End: 09/08/24	Claire Messud (2024) The Strange Eventful History Fleet	https://livesteven.com/2024/08/10/to-be-a-witness-to-stand-alongside-simply-to-have-lived-through-these-strange-beautiful-appalling-times-to-have-been-a-night-light-a-mirror-a-support-this-is-a-b/
B: On publication	Finished 26/ii/ 23	Anne Michaels (2023) Held London & Dublin, Bloomsbury Publishing.	https://livesteven.com/2023/11/27/she-knew-it-was-everything-not-to-die-alone-not-to-be-taken-brutally-by-force-what-could-she-give-him-now-she-knew-what-he-would-want-from-her-that-still/
B: On publication	Finished 23rd June 2024	Colin Barrett (2024) Wild Houses London, Jonathan Cape.	https://livesteven.com/2024/06/10/sheila-says-i-know-the-sorts-that-do-be-congregating-over-there-that-house-is-a-wild-house-this-is-a-blog-on-colin-barrett-2024-wild-houses/
Not yet: 26/09/24 publ. Pre-ordered	Shortlist TBA 16/09/24 Before book can be read by me	Richard Powers (2024) Playground	N/A
B: June 2024	Finished 11/06/24	Sarah Perry (2024) Enlightenment London, Jonathan Cape	https://livesteven.com/2024/06/12/thomas-hart-an-aging-queer-writer-is-led-to-discard-his-writing-with-a-cry-of-disgust-at-his-imagination-capacity-for-characterisation-and-in-fact-the-whole-absurd-enterprise-o/
B: 01/08/24 (Pbk only)	Started 10/08/24 End: 12/08/24	Samantha Harvey (2023) Orbital	https://livesteven.com/2024/08/13/call-up-that-object-the-earth-and-make-out-of-its-silence-otherwise-on-the-page-thunder-and-music-this-is-a-blog-on-samantha-harvey-2024-paperb/
B: On UK publication	Finished re-reading 31.07.24	Percival Everett (2024) James London, Mantle.	https://livesteven.com/2024/08/02/james-is-a-man-who-can-read-and-write-a-man-who-will-not-let-his-story-be-self-related-but-self-written-this-is-a-blog-on-percival-everett-2024-james-london-mantle-beware-spoilers/
B: 30/07/24	Started 03/08/24 Finished 05/08/24	Yael Van der Wouden (2024) The Safekeep Viking	https://livesteven.com/2024/08/07/the-safekeep-is-well-titled-since-it-is-a-book-about-why-we-attempt-to-guard-from-others-those-things-we-find-most-precious-keeping-them-locked-from-the-touch-of-strangers-this-is-a-blog-on-yael/
B: On publication	Finished date not recorded	Hisham Matar (2024) My Friends	I bought this on publication and read it immediately but didn’t keep it. It was a book I didn’t get rate as highly as his many fans but that may be my fault. No blog.
B: 30/07/24	Started 01/08/24 Finished 03/08/24	Charlotte Wood (2023) Stone Yard Development Sceptre	https://livesteven.com/2024/08/05/charlotte-wood-says-there-is-something-sacred-or-holy-about-writing-when-youre-fully-absorbed-in-the-practice-of-it-there-is-an-almost-prayer-like-aspect-this-is-a-blog-on-c/
B: 30/07/24	Stated & Finished 01.08.24	Rita Bullwinkel (202) Headshot Daunt Books	https://livesteven.com/2024/08/03/not-a-feeling-of-whittling-of-a-group-of-many-reduced-to-a-single-champion-but-rather-the-feeling-of-accumulation-this-is-a-blog-on-rita-bullwinkel-2024-head/

I will keep this updated.

THE announced SHORTLIST IS:

Love Steven xxxxxxxx