Judging the Booker by its covers (again)
There's a lot to get through and not much time, but I'll do my best to read everything. In the meantime, here's what I'm expecting to think
August 19, 2008 - This from Guardian blogger Sam Jordison

Following the recent announcement of the Booker longlist, I'm pleased to say that The Booker Club is up and running again. My first read will be Aravind Adiga and I'll do my best to maintain alphabetical order and a steady rate of just over a book a week from then on. I hope you'll join me.

Already the idea of reading the entire Booker dozen before the September 9 shortlist announcement is looking rather optimistic, while I'm not sure I'll have even got through them by the final announcement on October 9. No matter, the books look interesting and I'm game for the challenge. Going on what happened last year, when many of the books I liked best didn't make the shortlist last time, I'm also happy to overrun in the hope of catching some missed gems.

I'm also pleased to report that, just like last year, I don't know much about most of the books on this year's long list at this early stage. Although that's partly thanks to my ignorance, it's also a good sign that - whatever you think about literary prizes - the Booker is at least doing a good job of promoting some previously unsung talent.

It also presents me the opportunity to judge the books on offer almost entirely on the basis of their covers. I've got no preconceptions, no background knowledge and in several cases no books (since they aren't yet published). So it is that I can here present a very literally superficial,

surface only view of the long list:

Read his comments about each here.