Instagram story viewer> @theoriginalbookchook> Posts

Nic

@theoriginalbookchook

1.9K

followers

1347

following

Books 💛🌼🌻 Aotearoa 🌿
LR: || switzy + murder in Paris ‘68
CR: || story of a life

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂...

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗘𝗥 𝗕 𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘
(aka our Booker alternate)

Wait? You didn’t know it was a thing?

Yeah actually, we just made it up.

In response to all the books that didn’t make it the real Booker Prize Longlist, Kate and I have decided that one longlist is just not enough - we are going to do two!

This is an open invitation to anyone who, like us, wants to read some of the books that perhaps you hoped might make the list (heck, you may even have bought them in anticipation) and read them like it was the Booker - in company, to chat about, dissect, compare etc.

We constructed this B - Side list from a compilation of our own wish-lists and welcome you to join us if there is anything on your TBR here! Join us for one, a few, all - whatever takes your fancy.

First off the grid from our alternate dozen will be Sian Hughe’s 𝗡𝗼 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘀 𝗔 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 starting on Saturday 8th August. If you’d like to join in comment below or shoot one us a DM.

We will post upcoming reads as we progress through the list in advance on our grid/ stories.

Kate and Nic
@diaryofabookstagrammer
@theoriginalbookchook by @theoriginalbookchook

547

153

2 months ago

How much has Bookstagram altered your reading habits?

I’ve been pondering on my own shifts in how I think and talk about books since first creating my own bookstagram page just shy of 3 years ago. The genres I now gravitate towards, the volume of books I read and the level of discussion while reading has boosted light years beyond the version of me that signed up here mid 2022.

My intentions in setting up an account seperate to ‘the rest of my life’ (do we all do this?) was foremost about finding others who read cool stuff. It was honestly that simple.

I felt like I’d grown out of my bookclub and I was floating in this empty space craving connection with others who would challenge my thinking and provide deeper experiences than what I was getting from those I was surrounded by.

To my surprise and absolute delight, this space has delivered tenfold beyond my original intent.

From a reading perspective, everything has shifted.

Reading is now one of the first things I prioritise within my day, I read more expansively, across more genres and tackle books with a lot more depth. Reading has become a part of my social world 👋🏼. No matter how much I may grapple with a certain book, there is always someone who can help me work through any confusion or complicated feelings.

Booker Prize, Women’s Book for Fiction, Aspen Words, Miles Franklin, Stella Prize, Sir Walter Scott Awards, Classic Fiction, Translated Fiction, Weird Girl Fiction, Dystopian, Horror, SCIENCE FICTION even 😱….. none of these would have ever crossed my radar with frequency in the past but new reading me, I can’t get enough.

Basically this is a ramble of thoughts as I gathered together a few books for a pic. Take it as an appreciation of all the delicious reads I have to look forward to and all the rad friends I have made that love to chat book stuff until the cows come home 🐮.

I hope Bookstagram has bought similar things into your world, it really is the most positive and incredible space.

Happy Easter Friends,

Nic 🩵 by @theoriginalbookchook

277

50

a year ago

Aside from Solenoid (which I bailed on at 150pages and returned to the library) here’s my paltry efforts at reading the International Booker Longlist.

I’m not quite done with Under The Eye of The Big Bird but I’m very much enjoying its flavour so far. Quite quickly Kawakami’s writing gave me those smooth, quiet vibes of Banana Yoshimoto’s writing. I love a book that quietly observes everyday human interactions as a way to explore social ambiguity.

I don’t feel I’ve read enough of the Longlist to make any attempt at a shortlist prediction but I’m definitely hoping there’s a few that I haven’t yet read that make the cut.

I’m curious to know if you’ve read a few from the Longlist, what’s the ONE book you would insist on being shortlisted?

My pick would be Reservoir Bitches for its gritty, breathless and urgent voices. I thought the final story was absolutely *chefs kiss* with some real heavy lifting that tied this collection into a ferocious little bundle of rightful rage perfectly.

💎 by @theoriginalbookchook

453

41

2 years ago

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲

We are now getting into the home straight of our #bookeralternate reading schedule with just four books remaining.

Please find our schedule for the next four books, hopefully this will assist with planning and sourcing books for those who wish to join us.

This coming weeks read - 𝗨𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗵𝗺𝗶𝗺𝗮 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗺 has been pushed out to start on Tuesday 13th October, with the remaining 3 books following on the below dates: ⬇️

— Son Of Nobody : 18th October
— Keshed : 24th October
— Venus, Vanishing 31st October

If you would like to join us for any of the remaining ‘longlisted’ books from our #bookeralternate prize list please comment below or dm either Kate or Nic.

All welcome!

Kate and Nic

@diaryofabookstagrammer
@theoriginalbookchook by @theoriginalbookchook

30

3

8 days ago

📣 Group Read Announcement.

We are up to book five in our journey to read the longlist of the Baillie Gifford Award for Non Fiction.

Do you feel like reading some non fiction? Do you fancy changing up your reading palate for a little while? This is your opportunity particularly if you’ve always had an interest in the Cold War.

If you’d like to join us in the group read, please respond to this post or message @theoriginalbookchook or myself directly.

Happy Reading! by @theoriginalbookchook

11

1

9 days ago

Because common sense does not seem to prevail when Kate and Nic are talking books / making reading plans, we have decided
(in our wisdom) to tackle a few more prize lists!

Here is the first of our invitations for anyone who would like to join us.

With a whiff of self restraint and realism for the first list on our radar, the @nationalbookfoundation awards, we have chosen a selection of three from each of the fiction, non - fiction and translated fiction longlists.

Our first read will be 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙤 17 𝙗𝙮 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖𝙝 𝙇𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙙𝙞 starting on Monday 5th October.

If you’d like to join us for Paradiso 17 or be kept up to date with upcoming future reads send us a message or comment below. ⬇️

We also hope to read the entire @cercadorprize Longlist as well as @goldsmithsprize so keep your eyes peeled for more details if any books off these lists are on your radar and you’d like to join the group in reading and discussing some (or all) of these wonderful new books.

Kate and Nic

@diaryofabookstagrammer
@theoriginalbookchook by @theoriginalbookchook

53

9

14 days ago

𝘚𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨

I thought August was the best month of reading but somehow September has surpassed August (not shared, so don’t go looking 🙄) and has ended up being the most exceptional month of reading, of discussion and general wallowing in the love of literature*.

September was made up of
— 5 longlisted books from #bookeralternate
— 4 off @thebookerprizes longlist (Things We Never Say not pictured)
— 3 from the @bgprize Longlist
+ still in progress a magnificent buddy read of Pautovsky’s A Story Of A Life hosted by @framesandfiction__ , which I’m confident will be a highlight read of 2026 in good time.

Loose preferences because, how can I 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 compare?

𝙏𝙤𝙥 𝙏𝙚𝙞𝙧
Hotel Exile
Gloria Don’t Speak
Transcription
Floodlines

𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤, 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙
The Shadow Of The Object
Helen Of Nowhere
Long Wave

𝘾𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙘, 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 (𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙)
Murder In Paris, ‘68

𝙊𝙠𝙖𝙮, 𝙤𝙠𝙖𝙮
London Falling
Switzy
This Is Where The Serpent Lives

𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 @ 𝙢𝙚
The Things We Never Say

A massive thanks to @diaryofabookstagrammer for sharing in the madness of all our ambitious reading lists and to all the fabulous readers who have joined us in reading, analysing, critiquing - and for tolerating my disdain for certain unnamed characters, I appreciate you all!

[*oh and by the way Mary, perhaps I guess I am ‘just a hobby reader’ but hey, for the record, I just LOVE READING.]

😘 by @theoriginalbookchook

110

33

15 days ago

And…. It’s time for BOOK NINE in our #bookeralternate read a long.

My how time flies when you’re having fun.

We have read some outstanding books and our final five look set to deliver much the same quality reads and wonderful discussions.

This week we have 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗯𝘆 𝗜𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗲𝗿 on our schedule. We will be starting As If on Saturday 3rd October. If you haven’t already reached out but would like to come and join us, send Kate or myself a DM or comment below.

Book Ten will be 𝗨𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗵𝗺𝗶𝗺𝗮 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗺 which we start reading on October 10th.

If you’ve been reading along with us for the past eight weeks, let us know your favourite so far!

Kate and Nic

@diaryofabookstagrammer
@theoriginalbookchook by @theoriginalbookchook

25

4

16 days ago

We’ve almost finished book three in the Baille Gifford Award Longlist so it’s time to announce our next read! Yes does say it’s book three, but Nic can’t count!

Starting this Friday, 2nd October we will be reading 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗬 𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘, 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻 1939 - 1945 𝗯𝘆 𝗜𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗮.

Described by Ariel Dorfman (author of Death and the Maiden) as “Exceptional and compulsive… Burma eloquently reminds us how, in our own time, the temptation to look away from persecution and injustice has terrifying consequences.”

If you’d like to join us for this group read, comment below or send us a message. All welcome!

Kate and Nic

@diaryofabookstagrammer
@theoriginalbookchook

#baillegiffordprize #stayaliveberlin #groupread by @theoriginalbookchook

18

1

17 days ago

Eat your heart out Booker Prize. If you’ve got feels for today’s shortlist, here’s a place to channel your grievances, or joy…💁🏼‍♀️

Book eight in our #bookeralternate Longlist coming right up!

Starting on Saturday 26th September we will be reading previous Booker Prize shortlisted author 𝗗𝗮𝗶𝘀𝘆 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻 and her new novel 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲.

If you’d like to jump in and read this one alongside us drop us a comment below or DM either Kate or myself.

Looking ahead, book nine starting on October 3rd we will be reading 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗯𝘆 𝗜𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹 𝗪𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗲𝗿.

Nic and Kate by @theoriginalbookchook

32

9

23 days ago

📣 Group Read Announcement

Murder in Paris 68’: A True Story of Death & Glamour by Edward Chisholm is our next seletion in our group read of the Bailie Gifford Award. Murder in Paris 68’ has featured prominently on bookstagram. If you have been tossing up reading this popular book now is your chance.

If you are a fan of Patrick Radden Keefe, David Grann and Philippe Sands, this should be a book that appeals to your tastes!

If you would like to participate in the group read, either comment below or DM @theoriginalbookchook or myself.

Thanks
Nic & Kate by @theoriginalbookchook

29

4

25 days ago

Here we are heading into week seven and book seven of our #bookeralternate read - a - long.

Starting this Saturday 19th September we will be reading 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿.

Told through a series of conversations, this novel explores the instability of the narrative and where art offers possibilities in our hyper connected world.

Short in length, this one looks to be a quick but intense read! If you’d like to join us in reading and discussing Transcription, either message myself or Kate or comment below 👇🏼

Our next read in #thebookeralternate series with be 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝗶𝘀𝘆 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻 starting on Saturday 26th September.

Kate and Nic

@diaryofabookstagrammer
@theoriginalbookchook by @theoriginalbookchook

35

19

a month ago