Reading, Ranking, and Predicting the Winner of the Women's Prize Shortlist

In this video, I read the entire shortlist, ranked my favorites, and chose my predicted winner!

⌚Timestamps⌚
0:00 - Intro
1:52 - Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks
5:05 - Pod by Laline Paull
9:06 - The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
12:24 - Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris
15:17 - Ranking and Winner Prediction

📼Videos Mentioned📼

📚Books Mentioned📚
Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks
Pod by Laline Paull
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy

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🌠Book Wishlist🌠

Instagram: @freshlyreadbooks
Twitter: @FreshlyBooks

[YourTrueShelf]

I dnf'd pod. Marriage portrait was 4.5* for me, and black butterflies was 5*, I loved it.
I dnf'd Pod. I own and intend to read trespasses and demon.
So far my favourite of the whole longlist was Memphis which I adored 😊

[TheBookBully]

Watching people struggle through Pod has been basically the only interesting thing about the Womens' Prize this year for me.

[DorinaFarkas]

Great video! It really made me want to pick up Black Butterflies.

[barbarahelgaker]

Agree, agree, Black Butterflies was my favourite too, followed by Trespasses!

[DefaultName-nttk]

Great video😊. I'll check out your recommendations. I listen to the Marriage Portrait and loved it as well.

[christinacampbellbooks]

I can't wait to read Black Butterflies! My favourite from the longlist so far is The Marriage Portrait. And I DNF'ed Pod. I really didn't like it! Enjoyed hearing your thoughts on all of these ☺

[aicha]

I’m also reading through the shortlist so love following the journey along! I’m only missing Black Butterflies now (just started).
I enjoyed Fire Rush a lot - very atmospheric, the rhythm in the prose was impeccable. Structurally it felt a bit weak though.

Pod, my god… i struggled too. I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I did not enjoy reading a dolphin POV, plus the obsession with rape/sex was weird. It was my least favourite too.

The Marriage Portrait was exactly what I expected - not for me, she’s far too descriptive plus I hate the not-other-girlification of historical figures. But I also disliked Hamnet so I think her prose is not for me.

Trespasses was my fave! It will absolutely not win but it really did a number on me. I’m noticing not many people are enjoying it, for me the quietness and Irishness of it worked so well.

Demon Copperhead I really enjoyed but it’s been a couple months and it hasn’t really stayed with me.
Have to say I am a bit underwhelmed with this year’s list!

[BookishTexan]

Fire Rush was so good, but so difficult to describe.

[anspikbl]

Loved your videos on Women's Prize!! Just a tip, J in slavic languages is pronounced like Y in english :)