I think it’s fair to say we weren’t blown away by all the shortlisters this year. Not to say we didn’t enjoy them, but there wasn’t that overwhelming sense of exhilaration like in years past. And what highlights we did have we quite different to one another’s.

Rachel loves In A Strange Room having found it ticked all the boxes: readability, beautiful style, and a sense of mystery and intrigue that encourages the reader to examine the book’s literary merit further. And she found The Long Song, the story of the girl enslaved on a Jamaican sugar plantation, to be heartfelt and well constructed.

“However, I could take or leave the rest. The Finkler Question and Parrot & Olivier are both good reads, but nothing I’d rave about. C is very clever, but perhaps too clever for me – if it won I wouldn’t be surprised. As for Room, I’m surprised it has even been shortlisted so that’s not a contender as far as I’m concerned.”

Suzy xxxx

Best book 1st-6th: Rachel:
In A Strange Room
The Long Song
C
The Finkler Question
Parrot & Olivier in America
Room

Best book 1st-6th: Suzy:
Parrot & Olivier in America
The Long Song
In A Strange Room
The Finkler Question
C
Room