Not too shabby, Abbey's!

Best Booker local harvest ever: Abbey's bookshop has all bar four of the long list, so it's only the Arnold, Berger, de Kretser, and Hensher will have to come from Amazon UK. Kicking off the marathon with Netherland.

Bookies 2008

This chronicle now reverts as always at this time of year to the novel, in particular the 13 just announced for the Man Booker long list. So nicely timed for the European summer hols. Interesting to see how many are already available in Oz. The Rushdie is the only one already read*

The Man Booker Prize 2008 Long List

Aravind Adiga The White Tiger
Gaynor Arnold Girl in a Blue Dress
Sebastian Barry The Secret Scripture
John Berger From A to X
Michelle de Kretser The Lost Dog
Amitav Ghosh Sea of Poppies
Linda Grant The Clothes on Their Backs
Mohammed Hanif A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Philip Hensher The Northern Clemency
Joseph O'Neill Netherland
Salman Rushdie The Enchantress of Florence
Tom Rob Smith Child 44
Steve Toltz A Fraction of the Whole

*or to be honest, just the first 100 pages before getting distracted - just the same as with every Rushdie ever sampled.