Paul's Adventure Amongst the Ladies in January/July 2012

Thank you to Nancy, Deb, Dee and others for piquing interest in the Orange Prize for next year. Realized when making my best of lists that ladies are underrepresented - not because of innate prejudice - but because I have somehow gravitated subconciously to male writers (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). This thread should go some way to setting about the inequality!

Plan to read two from the winners, two from the shortlist and two from the longlist in January. Tentative picks from the shelves:

Winners
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
The Road Home by Rose Tremain

Shortlist
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Room by Emma Donoghue

Longlist
Lyrics Alley by Leila Abdoulela
Hearts and Minds by Amanda Craig

These are my versions of the books I plan to read!

Hi and welcome, Paul!

Great to see what you'll be reading in graphic form. I enjoyed each of the four on your list that I've read (The Road Home, Room, Bel Canto and Hearts and Minds).

Welcome Paul :-)

Planning for January already! I like your choices - I might join you with The Road Home as I have a copy and have been meaning to try Rose Tremain for ages.

I thought Bel Canto and Wolf Hall were fabulous and will be interested in your thoughts on Lyrics Alley and Hearts and Minds.

Welcome, Paul! You have some wonderful selections ahead of you! So glad you can join us. =)

Please spread the word with your friends. Probably because of the nature of the prize, but we don't have a lot of male readers participating, which is a shame! All are welcome!

Happy reading! ~Jill

P.S. If you're on Facebook, please join us there too: www.facebook.com/OrangeJanuaryJuly. And I'll be updating my blog soon with Orange January details and prize lists: http://mrstreme.wordpress.com. The best way to keep track of the blog is to subscribe (see button the right of blog posts).

Great choices, Paul! I have Hearts and Minds on my wishlist - and I've read Room , which I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Welcome, Paul! I'm glad to see that you'll be joining us in 2012. I'll definitely participate, as the Orange Prize continues to be one of my favorite literary awards.

Welcome Paul! I've seen you around the 75 Book threads and am very happy you've decided to join us here. We have a great time in January and July, and thanks to Darryl many of us are reading Oranges year round (so you see, despite his complaint about being pummeled with oranges, he has in fact been a positive influence ...)

You have some great picks for January, I've read all but your longlist choices.

Dee - thanks for the invite - will be looking forward to seeing your picks too.

Heather - Read Restoration a good while ago and enjoyed it too. Look forward to kicking off January with a good read together.

Jill thanks for the encouragement and the links. Will definitely follow up on the facebook link although it is a little confusing as SWMBO shares my facebook account! For the uninitiated SHE-WHO-MUST-BE-OBEYED is my dear better half - possibly the scariest thing this side of the Pacific ocean! (Love her to bits all the same)

Deb - we can bumping into each other on these threads! Hi and I'll be following your progress too.

Darryl - thanks - we are presently outnumbered in a very nice way Doc! The list of winners, shortlited and longlisted Orange prizes gives plenty of good reading scope for the year. Won't be able to stick to Jan and Jul I think.

Laura - also noticed you around our 75ers threads. Don't think I'll be able to live up to the billing as Darryl's apprentice but I'll do my best!

Great choices for January, Paul. I'll probably join you in reading The Road Home, which I have, and possibly Bel Canto, which I don't own yet (although I've been wanting to read it for awhile). I've read the other four, and can highly recommend all of them.

In all seriousness, I'm grateful to Jill and Laura for creating this group and inviting me to join in the fun. Although I do want to broaden my horizons and read more literature written by women, the main reason I like the Orange Prize is that there are a lot of stellar books that have appeared on the longlists, including (but hardly limited to) Wolf Hall, The Memory of Love, The Lacuna and Grace Williams Says it Loud. The quality of this year's longlist was far superior to the Booker longlist, and I'm eager to see what the judges will choose next year.

*toasts Paul with a mug of lapsang souchong tea*

>11 kidzdoc:: the credit is due entirely to Jill, Darryl. She's our social media maven. I've just been reading Oranges since before the group was created.

Welcome to the group, Paul! I've read the first three of your proposed January reads, and loved them. I have a copy of Room lined up, so maybe I'll join you on that one.

Welcome to the group, I only seem to manage 1 or 2 Orange books in the annual January/July read so am impressed that you have 6 lined up for Jan. I've only read Wolf Hall from your list, truly a great read.

Darryl - *toasts you back* The Road Home
looks a popular pick - will be good to have you join me with that.

Laura - impressed with Jill's speed in welcoming me to the group. She is a regular dynamo!

Thanks Genny. Should have got to Room this year already for last month's TIOLI but was reading too slow!

Kerry - I can talk the talk but I've yet to walk the walk! Nice to see you here.

Hi Paul, nice to see you here!

I hope you love Wolf Hall as much as I did.

I haven't thought about Orange January as yet, I've got to get through Christmas first! Still, I've got many (many) unread Oranges in the house, it won't be an effort to find one. :) I might have to pick up The Road Home to join in on some of the reading fun next year!

You too Tania! Be interested to see what you are reading come January.

Welcome Paul

I was in the 75ers but was so overwhelmed I dropped out.

I have read, and enjoyed, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, The Road Home by Rose Tremain and Room by Emma Donoghue.

I have Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel on my TBR pile to read at some stage, but not necessarily January.

Haven't read the others but have been eyeing them off.

Welcome Paul!

I've read Bel Canto, Wolf Hall, and Room of your six, and they were all terrific. I have The Road Home lined up for January as well, if I don't get to it this month.

Hi Paul, great to see you here! Of the books you have tentatively listed I have read Bel Canto and Room. I highly, HIGHLY recommend Bel Canto which was one of my favorite Orange reads from last year. Room is good but didn't captivate me like Bel Canto did.

Looking forward to following your Orange reading!

Sally & Anne - sorry for very very late riposte - can only claim pressure of work. Hope you can join me with Wolf Hall Sally and The Road Home Anne.

Lori - Room does seem to divide opinion a lot doesn't it.

Presently have come down with the flu; at least it is a good excuse for plenty of warming beverages and for curling up with what's left of my 2011 reading matter.

Interested to hear what you think of these. I've read the first four on your list and found each very good in their way. Bel Canto was perhaps my favourite of the four. Interested to hear what you think of the other two, I haven't come across them before.

I'm looking forward to your thoughts on Lyrics Alley. The author has been longlisted three times.....seems like there must be some major talent there!

Well, if one must feel poorly, then the excuse to turn some extra pages takes the sting out of it. You've got some great reading ahead of you!

I hope you are feeling better, Paul! I"ve had a slow start to January too.

I highly recommend Bel Canto!!

Reading Bel Canto now and loving it!

Kim - knocked off Wolf Hall already and enjoyed it. Lyrics Alley is ongoing and Bel Canto to follow after that.

HRO - Couple of chapters in with Lyrics Alley and just getting used to the long line of characters introduced. Looks promising.

"buriedinprint" - Your moniker suits my reading room! Thankfully fully recovered and enjoying my reading.

Deb - nice to see you over here. Your thread over there seems to be gathering momentum.

Michelle - Hope to get it read by around the 20th.

Tina - I will look for your review with much interest