The 2012 Orange Prize Longlist: A U.S. Reader's Guide

The wait is over, friends, and the Orange Prize longlist is here! How well did my predictions hold up? I correctly guessed six of the twenty novels and had another four on my longer list of 59 novels. Many of the ones I wasn't familiar sound absolutely fabulous. This list spans the globe, and I'm looking forward to diving into my longlist reading!

The ones I've already read:

The ones available in the U.S. now:

The one coming soon to the U.S.:
  • Painter of Silence by Georgina Harding (September 12, 2012)
The ones we hope find their way to the U.S.:
  • On the Floor by Aifric Campbell
  • The Flying Man by Roopa Farooki
  • The Blue Book by A.L. Kennedy
Biggest joy: Ann Patchett's much deserved nomination for State of Wonder, my favorite read of 2011. It also means my three favorite novels have all been longlisted for the Orange Prize--the streak is still alive! Also, will Ann Patchett be the first woman to win the Orange Prize twice?

Debut novels count: only 5 this year

Want to know more? The official Orange Prize announcement is here.

Now tell me: which book should I read first? Which book are you most excited to see included?

As an Amazon affiliate, I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you!

Comments

  1. As usual, there are many long list selections that I never heard of - which is a GOOD thing! Looking forward to learning more about each book.

    Were you surprised by The Night Circus?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll say I'm disappointed more than surprised about the inclusion of The Night Circus. I didn't care for it, but so many have. I will be surprised if it makes the shortlist, however.

      Delete
  2. Thanks for sharing the longlist with us! Now I can place a few books on hold.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes--it's always a mad dash to the library queue for me!

      Delete
  3. I've only read one -- The Night Circus. I'm curious about The Submission and State of Wonder though. Thanks for sharing the list.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jenners--I highly recommend State of Wonder. I'd be curious what you think of The Submission too. The writing was too flowerly for me, but there are some good things there!

      Delete
  4. Three cheers for The Night Circus!!

    I want to read The Song of Achilles...I've seen good things about it, plus I think the cover is adorable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm eager to read Song of Achilles too. It's near the top of my pile!

      Delete
  5. I know you didn't like it as much as I did, but I'm excited to see The Submission on there!! (BTW, I'm going tomorrow to see the actual 9/11 memorial, yay!) State of Wonder is one I need to read... you and a couple others I follow gave it such great reviews!!! And The Grief of Others is one I've really been wanting to read so I may need to consider that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Enjoy the memorial:-). You must read State of Wonder! I'm eager to read The Grief of Others too after so many positive reviews.

      Delete
  6. I was excited to see so many new-to-me titles too. Sorry to see that a few aren't available over there yet. I'll keep my fingers crossed that they get picked up by a US publisher soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jackie--thankfully those that aren't here yet were easy to order from the UK, so they're still on their way to me! Many of the new-to-me titles look fantastic. I can't wait to start reading!

      Delete
  7. I've read (3)...Night Circus, Grief of Others and State of Wonder, but I own a few more. I need to check out some of the others I have never heard of.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Diane--I must say for the first time, all of them look really good to me. I'm excited!

      Delete
  8. Will you try reading all of the books? Or at least the ones available in the US? At first I thought I wasn't all that excited about this year's list, but the more I look for information on the titles, the more I want to read them all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! I've already ordered the four not available here from the UK. Given the relatively short lengths this year, I hope to have most of them done before the shortlist is announced. Regardless, I plan to read them all before the winner is announced. Only one title doesn't really appeal to me, and that's pretty good!

      Delete
  9. Carrie,
    I really don't know how you do it! It's really amazing that you read it all before the winner is announced. I admit I'm disappointed to see The Night Circus on this list as well and will BE REALLY surprised if it makes the shortlist. I'm still really pumped about Gillespie and I! Looking forward to your reviews to come. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on Gillespie!

      Delete
  10. Nice job, Carrie!! I'm so thrilled to see so many favorites of mine on the list -- I've actually read more than one on this list, too, which is a first for me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hooray! I think it's a list you'd love--so much historical fiction!

      Delete
  11. I have read a couple of these, but would like to read more of them. I currently have my eye on Gillespie and I, and want to get to that one soon, but a lot of the others look amazing as well. Thanks for sharing all these with us!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the list looks exciting too. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Gillespie once you read it!

      Delete
  12. Thanks for posting - great reads here!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sheila! I have fun collecting all the information in one palce!

      Delete
  13. Thanks for posting this! I've already got a few on hold at my library.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy to help, Gavin! I'll look forward to your thoughts once you read them!

      Delete
  14. You've got a decent head-start: that's lucky! I've only read one of these, so I've got my reading work cut out for me. I'm fairly sure that I won't have time to re-read Edugyan's novel, alongside all the others, but it's definitely worth re-reading.

    I'm positive that I won't have them all read by the time the shortlist is announced, but that's okay with me, because it's the longlist that I'm most interested in anyhow; I'm encouraged by your rating of State of Wonder, as it's the first one I'll be reaching for. I don't think you said which you'll be reading first?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I also care more about the longlist. I *try* to read them all. I was surprised how short many of them are this year. Normally I wouldn't dream of reading them all before the shortlist! Also, I have a week off for spring break soon, so that will be LOTS of reading time. I was going to read Achilles first, but after reading up on the finalists I was less familiar with, I'm opting for The Pink Hotel. Happy reading!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking the time to comment. Happy reading!

Popular posts from this blog

Mini-challenge: Where in the World Have You Read Today?

The Backlist Book Club: The Clan of the Cave Bear discussion

book review: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson