Book prize winners, a savage Cusk review, and millions of pages saved • This Month in Book News ✨

[@benreadsgood]

It’s great to be back! Let me know what releases you’re most excited for this month 👀

[@ameliareads589]

Happy Birthday, Ben! 🎉 And thanks for putting all this research into these kind of videos.

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks so much! ❤️

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

Happy birthday Ben 🎂🥳🎉🤩☘️👋🍀

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you so much 🥳

[@nicolesquires141]

Great content & format Ben. Thank you!

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks so much for watching! 🙌

[@bibliosophie]

i didn't know there was a new julia armfield! i also liked our wives under the sea, so i'll check it -- thx ben book news network :)

[@leeh4343]

Happy birthday! Very cute nephew card 😊 thanks for keeping us updated in all things bookish! I saw Alexis Wright talk at the Melbourne Writers Festival and she was excellent .

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks! To be honest I am very intimidated by Praiseworthy because it's so long, but it's getting to the point where I cannot continue to bury my head in the sand. I will have to read it! 😅

[@ReadingNymph]

I hope you had a lovely birthday!

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks very much! It was nice, although I took the day off but then realised everyone else was working so spent it mostly pottering about on my own 😂

[@katiejlumsden]

The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro is a great short story collection.

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you for the rec Katie! 🙌

[@glossy1068]

Another great one! And I think it's awesome doing what you love on your birthday. Cheers!

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@cathyi3805]

Happy Birthday, Ben!!! 🎂🎉 Thanks for filming on your birthday! ☺

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you so much for watching! 🙏

[@ellenmadebookclub]

Happy birthday! Hope you had a lovely trip! Great broadcast as always. 😊

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks very much! 🥰

[@sheltercoordinator8387]

Happy birthday! This format is such fun....I'm really enjoying it.

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks very much! Glad you’re enjoying these still 😊

[@yellowmeeplereads]

Happy birthday! Still loving this series. Playing a little imaginary jingle in my head for ✨~book news ~✨

[@benreadsgood]

I have been thinking it needs a jingle!!! Music creators hit me up 😂

[@doloresprocaccio2336]

Happy Birthday! Still loving this new format!

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you so much! 🙌

[@tiamarnie7323]

Happy Birthday, Ben! 🎉

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you! 🥰

[@nickyhampson875]

Happy Birthday Ben. Monstrilio is a given purchase for sure. How did you get on with In the miso soup? 🤣🤣

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks very much! I liked In the Miso Soup, although it didn't quite hit 5 stars for me because it fell apart a bit towards the end. But will be reviewing soon!

[@maryminnock9863]

Happy Birthday! Yeah to making books more environmentally friendly. One good thing about KDP is Print on Demand - contraception for books, only wanted books get born! 🤪

[@benreadsgood]

It is a nice idea but… a world without physical bookshops?! 😱

[@onourpath]

Happy birthday, Ben! 🎂 I hope you love Monstrilio. 🤞🏻

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks! Really looking forward to it and trying to clear all the other stuff I want to read so I can get to it!

[@Nina_DP]

Happy birthday, Ben! I just celebrated mine last week. 🥳 I think I may pick an Alice Munro for this months's Read Good Prompt. I've been struggling to pick something because I don't believe in book shame. 😉

[@Tristan-L-Space-Books]

I really like and appreciate this style of video, as well as the information 🤩

[@benreadsgood]

So glad you like it! 🥳

[@Shelf_Improvement]

Have a fantastic birthday. I put Boy With A Black Rooster on my tbr

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you so much! 🙏

[@Bront-ki2im]

Thanks for your sharing, and happy birthday. 🎈

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks for watching, and for the birthday wishes!

[@spexi513]

Happyyyyyyyyy Birthdayyyyyyyyy!!!! I don’t find it tragic it all - birthdays and 📚 go together imo 📚🪱💚

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you very much 🥳

[@KierTheScrivener]

I loved the Runaway by Alice Munro.

[@benreadsgood]

Ooh thanks for the recommendation. Seems like it’s hard to go wrong with her collections!

[@SaraIsReading]

Happy Birthday! I've just begun to read the Everyman's Library edition of 'Carried Away: A personal selection of stories' by Alice Munro. It looked like a good introduction to her writing, and the fact that it was an Everyman's h/b was an extra plus.

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you! And yes those Everyman editions are lush aren’t they.

[@talithareads]

Happy birthday, Ben! 🥳

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you!!! ♥️

[@nathansnook]

still so sad with the loss of Alice Munro. if you like Patchett, you'll surely love Munro

[@benreadsgood]

Ben's First Patchett was a HIT so I'm probably going to love Alice's stuff 🥰

[@Laney0104]

This video is informative and entertaining, as usual. Thank you! I’m really excited about Monstrilio, which features love, the supernatural, and tragedy.

[@benreadsgood]

Glad you enjoyed the video! CANNOT wait to dive into Monstrilio.

[@readandre-read]

Happy Birthday! I'm excited to learn more about the new Julia Armfield book! You can't really go wrong with any Alice Munro collection but my favorite might be Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage. I love the title story.

[@benreadsgood]

I’m excited to see where Armfield goes this time. I’m going to an author event of hers in a few weeks so it will be cool to hear her talk about it. Thank you for the birthday wishes! 🙏

[@BobTheBookerer]

Happy birthday!

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you BobTheBirthdayWisher! 🥰

[@cathyg.9996]

Happy Birthday Ben! 🥳🎂 This year’s Pulitzer Prize winner was a bit of a surprise since no one seems to have heard of it. I am not familiar with it either and it doesn’t sound like my cup of tea. I’m currently reading and loving Ordinary Human Failings.

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you Cathy! Yeah I'm just not really that won over by Night Watch, but maybe all it takes is someone I know to put up an enthusiastic review 😅 Ordinary Human Failings is great!

[@YourTrueShelf]

Firstly, happy birthday for yesterday! 🎂 Hope you hauled some books 📚 I completely blame you for purchasing yep new Kindle books!! I bought Rosewater and Playing Games (which tbf were in my wishlist, so great to nab a deal 😊) As usual, a brilliant video - what would we do without these?! X

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you Sarah! I do like the deals for those books that I might not otherwise pick up, but I'm happy to give a go digitally. Interestingly, people don't tend to buy me books for my birthday because they worry they'll get me something I already have (or something I won't like!) Just means I have to buy myself some presents 😅

[@bookofdust]

Despite being a short story writer, a surprising number of Munro’s works have been adapted into films. The one I can highly recommend is The Bear Came Over the Mountain from Hateship…. The movie has the name Away From Her and was Sarah Polley’s directorial feature. It’s a heartbreaking mediation on memory, aging, love, loss and letting go and stars a luminous Julie Christie as a woman with dementia. One of the nice things is that Polley being from Canada, she infuses her film with quintessential Canadian elements retaining that sense of location that otherwise are excised in many other of the film adaptations. It’s one of those rare combinations where both the written and cinematic works are both strong and equally exceptional in their own right.

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you for the thoughtful recommendation! I have heard good things about Hateship, and if it has this story (and a movie to go with it), perhaps I should seek that collection out first.

[@BookishAdventuresInWellbeing]

Happy birthday Ben 🎉

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks Keri 🙌

[@Tetsujin-28]

Belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

[@benreadsgood]

Belated thank you!

[@norfolkreads]

Happy Birthday Ben 🎉🎉

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you! ♥️

[@Showmeyourshelfie]

The Bear Goes Over the Mountain is a short by Alice Monroe and is available for free from The New Yorker. It's brilliant and I can't recommend it enough. I had a bookclub a few years ago and every other month we did close readings of short stories. This ones one one my absolute favorites. Thanks for the video and happy birthday!

[@benreadsgood]

Sounds like a cool book club! I’ve never been great at very close reading so I want to get better at it. I need to tackle Feorge Saunders A Swim in the Pond in the Rain at some point because he seems like the perfect teacher for it. Thanks for the birthday wishes! 🙏

[@Showmeyourshelfie]

I have not read A Swim in the Pond but that looks like an amazing way to get through Chekov and short stories in general. Great recommendation.

[@nimbustuba]

I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version of A Swim in the Pond in the Rain, with George Saunders narrating. I love the his voice and it’s often wonderful when an author reads their own book.

[@rudy679]

Can't wait for Passiontide. Loved The Mermaid of Black Conch.

[@benreadsgood]

Really interested to see what people make of it!

[@cecilialau_]

Happy birthday, Ben! Hope your day is fab 🥳 Can’t wait for more Bryan Washington, what an absolute treat it was to read his “announcement” on the two to come 🙌 And I very much agree with you, I know we don’t know celebs personally, but I was still disappointed that Blake Lively would sign up for a coho adaptation… Just being completely honest.

[@benreadsgood]

Haha tbh it’s more that I don’t want to watch it but I want to support Blake. I wish she didn’t test me like this!!! Thanks so much for the birthday wishes🥰

[@markhnk]

Happy Birthday!

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks so much! 🙏

[@nanimaonovi2528]

I just read 'Lies and Weddings', it's an over the top implausible soap opera. If you like fashion and reality TV it might be a fun Summer escape for you.

[@benreadsgood]

It’s not my usual kind of read to be honest! But I know Kwan has his fans so it felt worth mentioning 😅

[@karenmoore4430]

Hi Ben all along I have been saying Soldier Sailor for the Women’s Prize but I read Brotherless Night to finish my women’s prize reading and I think Brotherless Night will now win.

[@benreadsgood]

Ooh that’s a glowing recommendation. I’m going to get started with it as soon as I finish my current read!

[@severianthefool7233]

Happy bday! I love these recap/book news videos. Also, that Cusk review was absolutely eviscerating.. yikes

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks! And yeah they didn’t need to go that hard on her 😂

[@judybrown1624]

I love these videos! I think maybe I say that every month 🤔

[@benreadsgood]

Haha well it’s nice to know you’re still enjoying them. Thanks so much for watching!

[@booksandsarcasm4713]

Love this video concept!

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks so much for watching, glad you like it!

[@ianp9086]

Any Alice Munro is wonderful but the mid period books like Open Secrets, Hateship, or Runaway are superb. And a new Julia Armfield is a must have! And I think you are right about Solenoid not being released over here.

[@benreadsgood]

Hateship has had quite a few mentions, so feels like the one I’m most gravitating to. Thank you!

[@ianp9086]

@@benreadsgood I've read all 14 of her collections so obviously a bit of a fanboy but I can highly recommend the ongoing project by the site Mookse and Gripes which takes a detailed look at every story.

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks for the tip - I visit that group now and then so might have to check it out!

[@ReadingintheDriftless]

Two books in June for me: Morgan Talty first novel following his award winning debut short stories (US?) Fire Exit and Jessica Anthony’s first novel since Enter the Aardvark, The Most

[@benreadsgood]

Ahhh seeing lots of positive stuff about the Talty. We're not getting it over here until October though!

[@ReadingintheDriftless]

@@benreadsgood I was wondering about that. Is Jessica Anthony an author you see over the pond?

[@benreadsgood]

She’s not an author I’m familiar with, but done a quick search and looks like she’s had a few published over here.

[@neotropic]

I love Dear Life collection.

[@benreadsgood]

That one seems to be the most widely available in bookshops! So perhaps an easy one to turn to.

[@dqan7372]

Can't go too far wrong with Munro. I'd simply steer people around "The View from Castle Rock" as their first read as it isn't representative of the rest of her work. "Dear Life", her last, got OK reviews, but wasn't as universally acclaimed. Readers not keen on short stories would do well to start with "Lives of Girls and Women", a novel in short stories.

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks for the sage Munro guidance! Didn’t realise the had a novel in stories. Will look it up!

[@michaeldornan7737]

Muitos parabéns!

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you!

[@seamusgaelic6447]

It was great to hear you mention Bryan Washington. I've read his first two books, "Lot" and "Memorial". It's good to know he has two more books coming out. Also, as far as Alice Munro, I only just became aware of her a few months before her death. I've read - and can recommend - her short story collection "Dear Life". From my singular exposure to her work, I can understand why she is so highly regarded. I found her collection one of the best short story collections I've read. Lastly: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEN! Now, go out, and get pissed as a fart! It's your birthday!

[@benreadsgood]

I have Family Meal staring at me from my shelf and I really want to read it. More Washington is only a good thing! I will be having a drink, but not too much… it’s a Monday after all 😅

[@katrinamuritala3207]

Noo I paid full price for bodies

[@benreadsgood]

Early adopter problems!!! At least you’ve supported the author and publisher though. John Murrays are smashing out of the park this year with their releases!

[@Nopi9]

Glutton might have got an upgrade with the American cover but dear god why are the rest of the uk paperbacks always such ugly downgrade from the hardback . I don’t like buying hardbacks but the paperback art almost always make me regret not buying them.

[@benreadsgood]

That’s so interesting! I often find myself regretting buying a hardback when the paperback is prettier. But probably just confirmation bias 😅

[@TheBobbybare]

Re Solenoid. Correct the publisher is Deep Vellum but now it’s been picked up by Pushkin

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks for confirming! Interesting that Pushkin has picked it up. Wonder what that might mean for, e.g. International Booker eligibility.

[@aleksandrajovanovic4604]

Happy Birthday, Ben! 🥳

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you!! 🙏