Bookies' Favourite

• International Booker Prize 2025: Shortlist Rankings & Winner Predictions

  The shortlist has been read, the opinions have been aired, and now it’s time... to rank them.In this special bonus episode of Bookies’ Favourite, we each reveal our final rankings of the six International Booker Prize 2025 shortlisted books—complete with laughs, debates, and a little chaos, especially as Lucy goes head-to-head with the Bookies' Favourite hivemind 👀📚We also:Discuss our aggregate podcast rating based on all previous reviewsBreak down the bookies’ odds and what they might tell us about tonight’s winnerShare a few last-minute hopes and predictions before the announcement drops this evening🎉 Stay tuned:We’ll be back later this week with a reaction episode once the winner is announced, and to share our plans for what we’ll read next—whether that’s more awards, future shortlists, or award-winning books.💬 We want to hear from you!Let us know what prize lists, books, or themes you’d like us to cover going forward. This podcast is a book club, after all—and we want your voice in the conversation.📘 Facebook: Bookies’ Favourite📸 Instagram: @bookiesfavouritebookclub🐦 Twitter/X: @BookiesFavorite📚 Goodreads: Bookies’ Favourite Bookclub📧 Email: [email protected] for joining us on this International Booker journey—see you soon for the winner reveal!

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• Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq. Review

  In this final instalment of our International Booker Prize 2025 shortlist read-through, we’re diving into Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi and published by And Other Stories.A powerful collection of short stories that explore gender, class, and quiet resistance, Heart Lamp left us with a lot to reflect on—and no shortage of opinions. We also hear the thoughtful response of guest @sazloureads on Instagram, whose take adds another layer to our discussion.This is the last book on the shortlist—but we’re not done yet...📢 Coming up tomorrow:We’ll be releasing a bonus episode with our final rankings, Booker predictions, and some final reflections before the winner is announced on Tuesday evening.🎉 Later this week:We’ll be back once more with a reaction episode to the big announcement—did our predictions hit the mark, or did the judges surprise us?✨ Get involved:Now’s the time to send in your final rankings, predictions, or thoughts on the shortlist—we’d love to feature your opinions in our wrap-up coverage!📘 Facebook: Bookies’ Favourite📸 Instagram: @bookiesfavouritebookclub🐦 Twitter/X: @BookiesFavorite📚 Goodreads: Bookies’ Favourite Bookclub📧 Email: [email protected] for reading along with us—we’ll see you tomorrow for the final countdown!

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• Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix. Review

  This week on Bookies’ Favourite, we’re setting sail with Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix, translated from French by Helen Stevenson and published by Small Axes. A poignant dive into the conflicted conscience of a woman haunted by guilt after a migrant boat sinks in the English Channel under her watch, Small Boat has us asking: how much of grief can truly be put into words?We’re joined by special guest Stacey from @whatstaceyreadnext who shares her thoughts on the book, and we also hear from some of our listeners—thank you to everyone who wrote in! 📖 Next week’s episode is a bumper one!We’ll be discussing Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, a collection of short stories translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi and published by And Other Stories. It’s the final book on the International Booker 2025 shortlist—and with the winner announced Tuesday, May 20th, we’ll also be:Ranking all six books in order of our personal favouritesPredicting the winner with our take on the bookies’ oddsReading out your final rankings and reactions!✨ Get involved:Send us your shortlist rankings, predictions, or general Booker thoughts—we’d love to include your takes in our final episode of the season.📘 Facebook: Bookies’ Favourite📸 Instagram: @bookiesfavouritebookclub🐦 Twitter/X: @BookiesFavorite📚 Goodreads: Bookies’ Favourite Bookclub📧 Email: [email protected] for listening — we’re almost at the finish line!

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• On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle. Review

  This week on Bookies’ Favourite, we’re tackling the ambitious and reality-bending On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle, translated from Danish by Barbara J. Haveland and published by Faber.It’s the first book in a septology, and we’re diving deep into its looping timelines, philosophical undercurrents, and quiet emotional resonance. What’s it like to relive the same day again and again—especially when no one else notices? Is this the boldest book on the shortlist so far?We’re joined by special guest Imie Kent-Muller, aka @mythicreader, who brings her sharp insight to this cerebral and structurally daring novel.📖 Next week: We’ll be reading Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix, translated from French by Helen Stevenson and published by Small Axes. A quiet, lyrical novella about grief, music, and drifting through memory, it’s a haunting journey we can’t wait to discuss. New episode lands Monday, May 12th—read along with us!✨ Join the club:Have thoughts on Volume, Boat, or the shortlist in general? We love hearing from listeners—send us your takes and we might feature them in future episodes!📘 Facebook: Bookies’ Favourite📸 Instagram: @bookiesfavouritebookclub🐦 Twitter/X: @BookiesFavorite📚 Goodreads: Bookies’ Favourite Bookclub📧 Email: [email protected] for listening—and don’t worry, this episode only happens once.

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• A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre. Review

  This week on Bookies’ Favourite, we’re diving into A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre, translated from French by Mark Hutchinson and published by Lolli Editions.⚠️ Content Warning:This episode includes discussions of mental illness and suicide, major themes within the novel. If you’d prefer to skip, feel free to rejoin us next week.We unpack the book’s exploration of grief, loneliness, and fragile mental states, and we discuss the divisive writing stylethat sparked some strong reactions. We also share thoughts from multiple listeners—including special guest Ashlee (@afewofchifavoritethings)—who weigh in with their perspectives on this moving, elusive story.📖 Next up:We’ll be reading On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle, translated from Danish by Barbara J. Haveland and published by Faber. New episode drops Monday, May 5th!✨ Get involved:We love hearing your reactions—whether you loved a book, hated it, or felt somewhere in between. Send us your thoughts and we may feature them in a future episode!📘 Facebook: Bookies’ Favourite📸 Instagram: @bookiesfavouritebookclub🐦 Twitter/X: @BookiesFavorite📚 Goodreads: Bookies’ Favourite Bookclub📧 Email: [email protected] for being part of the club ❤️

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