Good luck with the house move. Are you downsizing?

Well, that was the plan - but we've ended up with a house pretty well the same size as our current one :) and it needs some work doing to it. But it's very pretty and it has a much nicer garden. And as we're moving north, we've got more for our money.

I was thinking of where you would put all the books you have collected if you were downsizing. The new place sounds very attractive and will give you scope for personalising it if it needs work. I always preferred that kind of place.

My current retirement abode didn't need anything done in the house apart from choosing suitable curtains, so I just changed the garden planting a little and made a vertical hanging garden on a wire frame so I don't need to stoop to care for it.

Martin, thanks for the update and good luck with the move. We moved just across town this time last year and it was quite a project.

My book group will be reading The Overstory for our meeting in October, and I'm looking forward to it.

Martin, I love it that in your country there is betting on literary prizes.

Here in the US, I doubt the betting industry actually knows that there are literary prizes.

Last year Tom and I seriously considered a move that included downsizing. In the end we changed our minds, in part because he is a radio ham and none of the places we liked would permit an antenna tower (he has two here). But like you, we found that the houses which appealed to us were almost as large as the house we have now.

R

The Overstory by Richard Powers

OK, this is quite a book. It's basically about a group of people who become environmental activists, particularly with regard to trees. It starts with their individual lives, and then connects them together.

It is beautifully written, and very moving; I've learned quite a lot of stuff about trees and forests, some of which is remarkable and some of which is remarkably depressing.

But it is too long. It's become a bit of a slog to read it; that's one reason why it's taken me so long. It is about 500 pages and could do with a good editor. 100 pages less, and it would be magnificent.

It's still a wonderful book. It might well win - but I'd have really fancied it's chances if it had been tidied up.

I happened upon this interesting interview with a Man Booker Prize judge that appeared in the New York Times. I guess today is the big day, huh?

Man Booker Prize Judge, Val McDermid

And the winner is.....

Milkman by Anna Burns. The first writer from Northern Ireland to win the Booker.

Well, that was unexpected. Clearly even by her - she hadn't got any acceptance speech ready or anything...quite overwhelmed.

My apologies - I've been so busy this year, I've hardly managed to read any of the books. I've finished just one on the shortlist, and started three others. It's not that they were particularly hard, it's just I couldn't knuckle down to doing a decent chunk of reading. It's quite impressive that The Overstory kept my attention as it's comfortably the longest on the list. Halfway through The Mars Room - must finish it. It's a good yarn, but felt a bit like a novelisation of Orange is the New Black...

So - then I'll retry Milkman. Perhaps I'll try it as an audiobook - apparently it works well - I've got a couple of free books on Audible.

Martin, an audiobook frequently works well for me with a book that I am having trouble getting into, but which I think I'll enjoy if I can just get over the hurdles. They are also good when I especially want to savor the language or ponder ideas. I am a fast reader, and sometimes I miss subtle pleasures a book can offer because I am racing through to get to the next event in the story.

I just read a rather touching story in the New York Times about Anna Burns, this year's Booker Prize winner. I thought I'd share it. Unfortunately, the headline is rather misleading. Shame on you, NYT!

The New Booker Prize Winner Who May Never Write Again