Surprisingly, only the Edugyan is unavailable. Most if not all are also available as ebooks. I hope I can get them from the library, haven't checked that yet.

I'm quite curious about the Pigeon English one...

Well, I've already read the Julian Barnes - a wonderful book, albeit very short. It's the story of a man who has had a fairly satisfactory life, looking back; a piece of evidence which shows fairly categorically that things were not as he imagined them causes him to revisit the memories and look afresh at them. It's the favourite to win, and I for one would be delighted if it does.

I've almost finished Jamrach's Menagerie. Hmmmm. I dunno. There's a large chunk about a shipwreck and the story of the survivors in the lifeboat. Once you've read Life of Pi, this feels a bit derivative. It just hasn't grabbed me. I'll finish it, but I don't think it's that great.

I could imagine reading and rereading The Sense of an Ending. I can't imagine reading Jamrach's Menagerie again.

Next up - probably Snowdrops - it's fairly cheap as an ebook. As four out of six are paperbacks, I'm a bit loath to read my first editions!

Right - finished the Carol Birch. I'd be astonished if this wins. What with a tiger and a shipwreck, it just feels a bit like Life of Pi II. OK, it's not really anything like Life of Pi, but still...

It's a good yarn, but the characters don't interest me, & the end is totally predictable. I'm extremely surprised that this was even longlisted. Still, what do I know?

I've now moved onto The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt - I found it as an ebook at a good discount at Kobobooks. OK so far.

OK.

I have now read The Sisters Brothers. That was a lot better than I'd anticipated. It's about a couple of professional killers, sent to kill someone in California during the gold rush. It's written in the first person by one of the brothers. As one reviewer said, it's quite amazing how much you come to like a couple of amoral psychopaths, Very interesting and unusual book. A bit of science in it which I found a bit dubious, but I was happy to let it go in the interests of the story.

It's the outsider according to the bookies. But at 8/1, I might have a punt on this.

I've also read Snowdrops. Hmmm. It's really just a psychological thriller. A superior one, granted, but it's all a bit obvious where it's going. The author spent three years living in Moscow, and, frankly, the book shows off about it. Better than I'd expected, but still, I'm surprised this was shortlisted and I'd be astonished if it won.

Two left.

I have Jamrach's Menagerie and Pigeon English, both courtesy of the local library. Both quite promising, with an edge to Pigeon English.

OK - finished.

To my mind, The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes is head-and-shoulders above anything else on the short-list. It's just in a different league; it's well written, it's beautifully economical, it's unusual, and it clearly repays re-reading. I hope it wins - it deserves to. (It's only fair to mention that my wife listened to the first half of it as an audio book and considers it to be pretentious tripe...)

Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch is not that good, and do we really need another shipwreck and lifeboat story to win the Booker? Can't see it happening.

Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman - I gave up on it. I got a hundred pages into it, and realized that it was getting nowhere - and I wasn't interested enough in the characters to just enjoy hearing about them. My daughter (13) is reading it, and she has said that it just takes too long to set the scene. There may be a good story there, but I'm bored with waiting for it to arrive. I can't see this winning either.

Snowdrops by A D Miller - a superior psychological thriller. There are plenty of superior psychological thrillers published every year. Not a chance. I'm astonished it was even short-listed.

The Sister's Brothers by Patrick deWitt - well, it's certainly a bit different, and I enjoyed it a lot. I could live with it if it wins, but I'd be very surprised.

Half-blood Blues by Esi Edugyan - this is the one I think will win if the Barnes doesn't. It's the story of a bunch of jazz musicians in Berlin and Paris before and during the war. The interplay between the musicians, the sheer tension of some of the incidents - I thought it was very good. I didn't much believe in one of the major characters, and what happened at the end, though - a bit unconvincing. But in my opinion, it's the only other real contender.

Now watch the judges give the prize to Pigeon English.

The winner is announced on the evening of October 18th.

Anyone else got any opinions? Siobhan - how did you get on with Jamrach's Menagerie and Pigeon English?

Loved Pigeon English although is not the sort of book I would normally read. I finished it some time ago and it is really staying with me. Hard to believe it is Kelman's first novel. Funny, this is the second year in a row that I have read a book written from the point of view of a child and really enjoyed it.

I am almost finished with Jamrach's Menagerie and am reserving judgment on it for now. I feel it has begun to drag a bit and I am beginning to not care so much what happens. With less than 50 pages to go the denouement will surely be soon and we will see.

I can't believe the Barnes isn't available at the library and the Kelman is.

Of course the Barnes hasn't been released in the U.S., that might be why!

I have the Carol Birch book but haven't read it yet. I did reach deWitt's The Sisters Brothers. Agree that it was different, mildly enjoyable, but it didn't really feel like Booker material to me.

When I looked at Martin's posting of the Long List, it appeared that at least a few had just come out in the UK or were soon to be released (so some of these are nominated before they are ever published). We always have to wait on least half of these to be released in the US.

I just finished Snowdrops and am unimpressed. Interesting to a point and well-written but ultimately so-so.

I should have the Barnes very soon. That will just leave the Edugyan. I can't believe I have read this many of the Short List.

I read The Sense of an Ending yesterday and loved it but afterwards I have a nagging "sense" that some elements of the story don't make "sense" to me. Without creating spoilers, I can't elaborate.

However, the book is so well written and readable and impossible to put down that I can definitely see it as an award winner. Since I probably won't read the others on the short list, this one gets my vote.

Julian Barnes - The Sense of an Ending.

First time in several years I've been completely happy with the winner. The best book on the short-list by a country mile, in my opinion.

The Washington Post this morning, in a short article announcing the Booker award, says there is more criticism about the finalists this year because "readability" is being honored more than literary quality. Since one of my descriptions of The Sense of an Ending was that it was "readable" I have to believe that is a good thing, not a bad thing, but maybe it is viewed as making the books more ordinary.

I need to read the book again, knowing the ending, to try to understand the part of the plot that seems too convenient and not very likely to have occurred.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Washington Post

Of course you all realize that I virtually assured Barnes the win since his is the only work I didn't read ;)

I didn't realize that he had been nominated four times and had never won. About time I say. Now I am really looking forward to reading this book. I should have it soon; I am first on the library list.

Of course I am a plebeian but I thought that maybe writers were just writing books that might actually be read and understood and maybe not so many writers were writing posh tosh that about twelve people enjoy.

Maybe we could discuss the Barnes book when a few more people have read it.

I just requested the Barnes book from the library. I am No. 36. BUT! I picked up the latest Daniel Silva from them today. I had been on that list for a long time, too.

I will have the Barnes book in my hands on Tuesday. Can you believe that there are 42 people on the list behind me? I think the Maine library system should consider purchasing another copy.

I should read it very quickly, will let you know what I think. (I'm sure everyone is on tenterhooks.)

It should be my turn for the library Barnes book by next week. I did read deWitt's The Sisters Brothers which, while not what I was anticipating, turned out to be fairly decent. I think I was expecting Lonesome Dove and got something more like No Country for Old Men but humorous; my favorite character turned out to be Tub.

I read The Sense of an Ending in a single sitting. It has been a long time since I have read such a powerful book. I am so pleased that it won the Booker; very deserving.

Come to think of it, Tub was my favorite character too.