The Mookse and the Gripes discussion

This is the place to name the 6 books you think most likely to be shortlisted (and optionally also what you would choose if you were a judge). I will make a list of the totals and update this introduction with the tables.
If you list more than 6 books I will only count the first 6.

These are the totals for each book:

1, James by Percival Everett, 27
2, Playground by Richard Powers, 23
2, Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner, 23
4, My Friends by Hisham Matar, 21
5, Held by Anne Michaels, 16
6, Orbital by Samantha Harvey, 14
~~~~~~~~~
7, Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood, 10
8, Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel, 6
9, Enlightenment by Sarah Perry, 5
9, This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud, 5
9, The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden, 5
12, Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange, 3

No nominations:
Wild Houses by Colin Barrett

Congratulations to David and victoria who got all six right

Thanks a lot Hugh!

With just three days until the announcement, I was wondering—what are your predictions or wishlist for the shortlist?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

I will start with mine:

Predictions:

Creation Lake (I believe this one is sealed thanks to the Gurdian)
James
Enlightenment
TSEH
My friends
Playground

Wishlist:

James
TSEH
Wandering Stars
Enlightenment
The Safe Keep
Creation Lake

Predictions:

Creation Lake
James
Playground
My Friends
This Strange Eventful History
Headshot

What I'd prefer:
Held
Enlightenment
Orbital
My Friends
James
Playground*

* won't be able to read this one before the shortlist so this one is based on previous experience of Powers

Predictions:

Creation Lake
Playground
James
My Friends
This Strange Eventful History
Either Orbital or Headshot (I feel one of them will make it but can't predict which)

Wishlist:

Enlightenment
James
My Friends
Playground
Stone Yard Devotional
Creation Lake

This is what I think will make it. Complete and utter guesswork.

Creation Lake (following hint from Guardian)
James (author hyped and generally considered to be too big to leave off I suspect)
My Friends (one of the few class acts on the list and has been widely tipped for a while)
Playground ( can't see any other reason that the publisher would have brought forward publication. plus good track record)
Held (I wonder if this was one they called in. Based mainly on its pub date. It is actually pretty decent too)
Orbital (just a bit different)

However, I do think it is wide open mainly down to the quite low standard this year with no outstanding candidates for me.

Predictions:
- Stone Yard Devotional
- James
- Orbital
- Held
- Creation Lake
- The Safekeep

I have no plans to read the entire longlist and will not presume to predict the actual shortlist, but after reading a zillion post here and watching umpteen Booker Booktube videos, these would be on my own shortlist/wishlist based on what I'm wanting to read (I've only read the first two thus far)

- My Friends
- James
- Orbital
- Stone Yard Devotional
- Playground
- Creation Lake

I am not good at predicting what a group of judges will do, so I'm just posting my personal short list:

* My Friends by Hisham Matar
* Playground by Richard Powers
* James by Percival Everett
* Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
* Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood
* Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

Note: I would also be happy with Orbital

Predictions:
Playground
Creation Lake
James
Wandering Stars
Held
My Friends

Desired:
Creation Lake
Playground
James
This Strange Eventful History
Orbital
Enlightenment

Predictions:
James
Orbital
Playground
My Friends
Creation Lake
Enlightenment

If I were a judge:
Praiseworthy
Night Alphabet
After Nora
I Will Crash
Curandera
Parade

Predictions

1. James
2. Creation Lake
3. Orbital
4. My Friends
5. Headshot
6. Playground

Winner: Playground

My Wish List

1. Held
2. Playground
3. Stone Yard Devotional
4. Orbital
5. Enlightenment
6. My Friends

What I'd love to win: Held

I feel the bar was very low this year and only Held, Playground, and My Friends are Booker worthy.

We want to read yours, too, Hugh! :-)

What if The Booker prize already gave us some hints about the shortlist in their website when they announced the longlist?

The selection features blackly comic page-turners, multigenerational epics, meditations on the pain of exile – plus a crime caper, a spy thriller, an unflinching account of girls’ boxing and a reimagining of a 19th-century classic.

Wild Houses
TSEH
My Friends
Creation Lake
Headshot
James

Predictions:

James
Enlightenment
Creation Lake
My Friends
Playground
This Strange Eventful History OR Held

- James, Percival Everett
- Creation Lake, Rachel Kushner
- Stone Yard Devotional, Charlotte Wood
- Held, Anne Michaels
- The Safekeep, Yael van der Wouden
- Orbital, Samantha Harvey

the only one I haven’t read is Powers’ Playground, so can’t speak to it personally (yet)! definitely can see Matar or Perry getting picked & wouldn’t be mad about any of those, but mostly hoping Messud is not included.

Playground
Creation Lake
James
Stone Yard Devotional
Headshots
Held

I've only read a handful but I think The Safekeep is underrated and am hoping it's on the shortlist along with My Friends and James.

James

My Friends

Playground

Held

Creation Lake

Stone Yard Devotional

Predictions
-James
-My Friends
-Playground
-Stone Yard Devotional
-Held
-Creation Lake

What I'd Like
-James
-Headshot (very unlikely)
-The Safekeep (maybe)
-Stone Yard Devotional
-Wild Houses (maybe)
-Orbital (unlikely)

*Read all of the LL EXCEPT for Playground, can't personally vouch for it, but know Powers is a Booker favorite*

As always, I did not get around to reading the entire longlist, so take it for what it's worth.

James
Playground
Held
Enlightenment
Orbital
The Safekeep

Predictions:
MSEH
Headshot
James
Playground
Held
Creation Lake

Maybe I am biased too much to my own tastes (and not having read the Powers yet), and I can see either This Strange Eventful History or Enlightenment being on the shortlist but I would predict:

James
Playground
My Friends
Held
Headshot
Creation Lake

Predictions:

My Friends
Playground - although I don't have a copy yet
Held
James
Creation Lake

Wish list:
My Friends
Held
Entitlement
The Safekeep
Orbital
Stone Yard Devotional

First 5 based on the 12 I read, last one is my assumption about the one unavailable to read.
Orbital
My Friends
James
Creation Lake
Held
Playground

Prediction:

Orbital
James
Stone Yard Devotional
Creation Lake
Held
My Friends

Prediction:

My Friends
James
Playground
Creation Lake
Held
The Safekeep

I just realised how american the entire list is! This has changed my prediction a bit - very excited for the announcement tomorrow!


Whishlist:

My Friends
Enlightenment
Playground
Wild Houses (still unsure if this is a prize winning book, but I just had so much fun!)
Stone Yard Devotional
Headshot

I've only read eight of the thirteen, but my top six were

Stone Yard Devotional
Orbital
Playground
Creation Lake
Wandering Stars
James

My predictions (completely random, have no clue...)

James
Held
Playground
My Friends
Enlightenment
Creation Lake

Prediction:
My Friends
Playground
Held
James
Headshot
Orbital


Wishlist:
The Safekeep
Stone Yard Devotional
Enlightenment
Held
James
Headshot

Orbital
James
My Friends
Creation Lake
Enlightenment
Playground

Predicted:

Stone Yard Devotional
James
Playground
Held
Orbital
My Friends

Desired:

Stone Yard Devotional
James
Playground
The Safekeep
Creation Lake (want to read)
Orbital (want to read)