The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives
Lola Shoneyin
The Pleasure Seekers
Tishani Doshi
The Birth of Love
Joanna Kavenna
The Tiger’s Wife
Téa Obreht
Room
Emma Donoghue
Swamplandia! – Karen Russell
Great House – Nicole Krauss
Whatever You Love – Louise Doughty
Grace Williams Says it Loud – Emma Henderson
A Visit from the Goon Squad – Jennifer Egan
The London Train – Tessa Hadley
The Road to Wanting – Wendy Law-Yone
Jamrach’s Menagerie – Carol Birch
Lyrics Alley – Leila Aboulela
Annabel
Kathleen Winter
The Seas
Samantha Hunt
Repeat it Today with Tears
Anne Peile
The Swimmer
Roma Tearne
AND TO WHOM AM I GIVING MY ONE AND ONLY ORANGE?
Thanks, Amy: I think Annabel‘s sophistication makes it seem like it’s less of a “first novel” (with all the baggage that goes along with that) and more of a debut work (its crafting is just so fine).
Cass, I’m glad it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Maybe I should be reading the longlists for the Indie Lit Awards instead?
Victoria: I gave my orange to Annabel because I thought that it managed to do what Peile achieved (in terms of producing a strong and credible voice in Wayne) and also offered complexity with the surrounding characters as well (particularly Treadway). So not that I felt there was a weakness in one, simply ‘more’ in the other (but one could say ‘less is more’); I wouldn’t have been sorry to see Peile’s novel carry it.
In all, I’ve wholly enjoyed the Orange novels and I will continue to pull my reading from their longlists, but I think I’ll be turning to other prize lists to read between long- and short-list announcements.
It was either Annabel or Repeat It Today with Tears for me too; I think on balance I would have gone for Peile but would have been happy for Kathleen Winter to win. I was…underwhelmed to discover The Tiger’s Wife had scooped the ‘real’ prize. It was a good novel, and very moving in parts, but very paint-by-numbers. It felt too perfect, too polished.
Annabel may not have won the Orange Prize, but it did win yours (and the Indie Lit Award for LGBTQ book), so at least it hasn’t gone unnoticed 🙂
Great choice, I loved Annabel 🙂 Also, love the photo!!!
Verity – Why haven’t they announced it yet? I think I must be converting the time incorrectly!
Jackie – I’m still sure that the judges will choose your favourite (Room, but I’m giving my personal orange (I rarely buy oranges!) to Annabel.
Danielle – I was feeling particularly determined to beat last year’s 16/20, and, were it not for the postal strike, I think I would have gotten to the end of the list, but 18 is still an improvement so I’ll take it!
In all, I was quite relieved to return to more concentrated reading in other colours yesterday, but the appeal of this list runs strong; I’ve yet to read an Orange-listed book that left me feeling I’d wasted my reading hours!
(Sorry: ‘concentrated’ was on purpose, but now I’ve spotted ‘appeal’. I’m intuitively speaking in orange now.)
I have some catching up to do on your posts but I have been loosely following your reading–you’ve really stuck it out–I’m always so impressed when readers manage to read the whole or most of the list. I always get so excited about it and start a few books and maybe finish one, though I am still in the middle of the one I started….am looking forward to seeing who will win and will try and at least read that one! 🙂
Interesting choice, I wouldn’t be surprised if any of the six won – it is such a close year. I’m secretly hoping you’ll be wrong though 🙂
Not long til the announcement! I’ve really enjoyed readng your posts – what a good year of Orange books it’s been!