Last weekend was Mum’s birthday, so family descended on the house we grew up in for train trips and dinners and walks. I left on Tuesday having collected, among other things, five of the six books shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize that my sister gave me for Christmas (well trained girl!). Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland, travelled to France and back over New Year and made it onto my World Book Day Weekend Bookshelf, although I have yet to finish it.
I started buying all shortlisted books in 1997, the year Arundhati Roy won. I wanted to see if I agreed with the panel’s decision. God of Small Things remains one of my favorite books, written from a child’s perspective without being patronising. The Lowland, also narrated by a young boy and set in India, follows two brothers as they grow up and apart.
All accompanied by my Friday flowers, bought on Tuesday because Monday was truly horrendous and Tuesday’s long drive did little to lift the spirits. Have a good weekend.
1. Colm Tóibín – The Testament of Mary
2. Ruth Ozeki – A Tale for the Time Being
3. Jim Crace – Harvest
4. NoViolet Bulawayo – We Need New Names
5. Eleanor Catton – The Luminaries
Kat Martindale 
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