ooh! I love these lists (I love lists of any kind). Let's see.
The Zone of Interest, Martin Amis
"Throughout his career, Amis has had a fascination with the Holocaust-- " PASS " -- following the progress of a love affair in Auschwitz and taking us into the minds of Germans -- " I SAID PASS.
Stone Mattress, Margaret Atwood
Love Atwood, altho I'm not quite as fond of her short stories. But is it true there hasn't been a collection of those since 2006? Hunh. Well she's been busy turning out MASTERPIECES (the MaddAddam books).
Amnesia, Peter Carey
Cyberhackers? //wilts OTOH I love Carey's writing -- but often find his female characters hard to take. More probable than most of the "possibly maybe" books, tho.
Outline, Rachel Cusk
"She presents their narratives in an artless, affectless style, passing
the occasional comment but otherwise fostering the illusion – for
illusion it is – that she is leaving her material unshaped." Iiiiiiii don't think so.
Perfidia, James Ellroy
'brings the two sides of his work together: the period crime-writing of LA Quartet, with its highlighting of police misdemeanours, and the wider politico-historical concerns of his subsequent Underworld USA trilogy, a "secret history" of the years from 1958 to 1972.' Writers "bringing together" differing parts of their work rarely turns out well. I liked Black Dahlia and My Dark Places and absolutely everything else he ever wrote was a wash for me.
The Book of Strange New Things, Michel Faber
"Evangelical Christian Peter leaves a world collapsing into environmental chaos to take the word of the Lord to a distant planet" No. "Becomes increasingly estranged from his wife and his own planet"? REALLY. YOU DON'T SAY. HOW SURPRISING.
Let Me Be Frank With You, Richard Ford
NO. NO, NO, NO, NO NO NO. I FUCKING HATE THESE BOOKS. WHY IS HE WRITING MORE OF THEM? WHY ARE THEY SO FAWNED OVER? GAHHH. I remember trying to read The Sportswriter and finding it so horrible and giving up in just total disbelief that this writer got such great reviews. And then it happened all over again with Independence Day! I would rather chew tinfoil than read his stuff.
The Peripheral, William Gibson
Probably not. Among all those other "books to read" are some Gibson books that sound better than this.
The Monogram Murders, Sophie Hannah
Continuation of Poirot -- NO. Hate most continuations, really hate Poirot. Now if it were Miss Marple....
Funny Girl, Nick Hornby
No. I don't like his fiction and the idea of his trying to write from a female POV makes me shudder. I also find writers who suddenly become slightly famous and then can write about nothing other than fame quite boring.
J, Howard Jacobson
"It is set in the future, after some catastrophe. The title itself is a mystery" -- no. Anyone writing dystopian fiction after Atwood these days is a simpleton.
The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, Hilary Mantel
Sure! why not. Don't think I've ever read her short stories, tho. But this might be another "too many books, too little time" thing.
The Children Act, Ian McEwan
No.
The Bone Clocks, David Mitchell
Probably, altho I've been meaning to read his other books for forever and haven't started yet.
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, Haruki Murakami
"a naturalistic coming-of-age story in the vein of his 2001 novel Norwegian Wood" -- ehh. I like Murakami when he's being fun and whacky, not mopey and twee. Probably not, there are just too many other books to read.
Us, David Nicholls
"a will-they-won't-they male-female romance" No.
"located firmly in
middle age" No.
"narrator Douglas, a staid biochemist, battles to save his
marriage" NO.
If I never see another goddamn novel narrated by a middle-aged male schlub puzzled by his Free-Spirited Wife who does something Whacky to Win Her Back, I will die fucking happy.
The Dog, Joseph O'Neill
"a middle-aged New York lawyer, fresh from the collapse of a romantic relationship" See above.
Extra bonus fail points for "brilliantly entertaining antihero"; you say "brilliantly entertaining antihero," I say "dull asshole."
Lila, Marilynne Robinson
Loved Housekeeping (before it was reprinted and fawned over, even! //hipster), didn't like Gilead, if this really is about the preacher guy's wife instead of the boring preacher guy, just maybe. Have a lot of other books to read, tho. But Housekeeping is one of my favourites.
Shark, Will Self
No.
How to Be Both, Ali Smith
I dipped into this already and found the "medieval" narrative voice very jarring. But I love Hoban's Pilgermann, so I keep feeling guilty I don't like this. But I just don't. I'll keep trying with it, but not for too long.
Nora Webster, Colm Tóibín
Ehh, maybe. It depends on how well he can do a female viewpoint, I haven't read much of his stuff. The Master-worship schtick puts me off.
The Paying Guests, Sarah Waters
Read it already, loved it, happy it's getting a lot of good reviews.
descensus Averno facilis est