First Book of the Year Shadow Panel

Airstream

This had an
exciting premise
and 1984 vibes
in a not-too-distant
future Scotland.
Although it was
a dystopian book
the socio-political
issues surrounding
this were never really
explored. 
The reason behind
everything, or even
the potential implications
of it, wasn’t dealt with.
Lie of the Land promised
a lot from the
beginning that was
never really seen.

Airstream feels like
a story, taking
the reader on
a journey through poetry.
When the flow
between them was
just right, the
collection could
sweep the reader
away. It brought
places like the
National Library
to life with its
own personality,
and hooked us
with many
moments of
truly passionate
writing.

The concept of
travelling the
60th parallel is
interesting, and
Malachy is great
at giving each
destination its own
identity. Every
passing character
has context, and
while 60 Degrees
North is a travel
book,  it reads like a
well-written novel.
It reaches out to
anyone who has
ever felt uncertainty
about where
home really is.

The Leipzig Affair

The structure of first
person and second
person alternating
narratives and
times (one in the
present, one
looking back) is
what many on the
panel liked, and others
found difficult. Either
way, we felt the
characters were
so well developed
and believable in this
book that it was the
most impressive, in
that, sense for
reality.

 Geoghegan made
a real attempt to
remain balanced on
a topic that's often
reported with bias,
tying everything back
to Scotland's
referendum. Other
places and people
were given their
moment, but the
language didn't always
match the topic at
hand. It was,
however, easy to read
even for those not
into politics.

 This is creepy and
made us feel
uncomfortable, but in
an enjoyable way.
Despite the mass
of stories they all flow
together, with a Pan's
Labyrinth/Coraline
vibe to much of it.
Even in the shortest
stories, the characters
are well-formed,
and unlike anything
we'd read. Ambitious
and engaging.