Video summary

You do NOT have to read the Booker longlist... and here's why

Main summary

Key takeaways

Entertainment

Overview

Daniel (aka “Guilty Feet”) does his annual playful “put-down with love” of the Booker longlist. He frames the exercise as a way to avoid feeling pressured to read all 13 books, and he praises the prize mainly as a “discovery engine” rather than something viewers must predict perfectly.

He reviews the list in alphabetical order, often judging books by:

  • Memorability/usefulness of the title and author name
  • Page count (he loves the under 250/300 pages sweet spot)
  • Current Amazon price (he checks UK and US listings openly)

Standout reactions & highlights (recurring jokes)

Overall vibe

  • He repeatedly pauses to check details on Amazon/eBay
  • He offers constant side commentary about:
    • covers
    • pricing
    • awkwardness of titles
    • whether he’d actually pick something up

Chloe Aridjis — The Shadow of the Object

  • Charmed by the author’s background: a doctorate in “19th century French poetry and magic”
  • Not sold on the cover
  • Calls it “not high on the list” despite being a short 192-page novel

Emma Cline — Swetsy

  • Very excited because he loved her earlier work (The Girls)
  • Plans to read it even though it isn’t out yet
  • Annoyed enough by inconsistent longlist rules to mention a prior Booker discussion

McKenna Goodman — Helen of Nowhere

  • A strong pick for him:
    • short (about 168 pages)
    • intriguing publication situation (US/UK timing differences)
  • Amused by the unusual spelling of “McKenna”
  • Ends up planning to have a copy sent back by friends in Connecticut

M. John Harrison — The End of Everything

  • Jokes the “M” can’t win (too dull vs. too many possibilities)
  • Criticizes the somewhat on-the-nose sci-fi title
  • Generally dismisses it as late-career Booker “memorializing” that rarely becomes a must-read

Marlon James — The Disappeareds

  • Fond memories of reading A Brief History of Seven Killings in Bath
  • However, it dampened his interest in starting more Marlon James
  • Cites:
    • density
    • series-avoidance logic (“O’Neal’s Razor”—don’t begin series until finished)

Luke Kennard — Black Bag

  • Dislikes the title
  • Makes a “youth pastor” vibe joke about the author
  • Notes that poets-to-novelists often don’t land for him (except Ocean Vuong)
  • Even though he praises cover blurbs for comedy, he skips it

Keenan O’Hanlon — The Renovation

  • Loves this “good enough” title
  • Impressed by the backing (major publisher, debut buzz)
  • Says he already tracked down a cheaper copy via Abebooks
  • Effectively “pulled the trigger”

Rebecca Perry — May We Feed the King

  • Finds the title bland/forgettable
  • Not excited to be first in line, even with:
    • a big blurb
    • a Waterstones debut win

Gwendoline Riley — The Palm House

  • Enthusiastic “yes” because he loved Riley’s My Phantoms
  • Mocks that multiple people on a podcast raved about it—and he joins the hype anyway

Elizabeth Strout — The Things We Never Say

  • Burnt out on the Olive Kitteridge / Lucy Barton universe
  • Mocks the memorability of the title compared to Olive Kitteridge:
    • calls Olive Kitteridge a “two-word” title that’s genuinely recallable
  • Not buying this one

Douglas Stuart — Shuggie Bain

  • Says: “it’s not you, it’s me”
  • Cites emotional/mental energy constraints
  • Mentions he previously refused to board the Stuart bandwagon, despite later-books acclaim and Oprah attention

Jamel Brinkley — All Them Dogs

  • Finds the pricing baffling (“why is it more expensive?”)
  • Won’t take the risk at the current cost

Missouri Williams — The Vivisectors

  • Admires the title and author name
  • Doesn’t love the cover, so remains uncertain
  • Amused that “Missouri Williams” is a pen name (real name: Heather Williams)
  • Praises her creative background, including a sheep-based King Lear retelling

Final tally (his “read vs not read” stance)

Definitely reading

  • Switsy
  • Helen of Nowhere
  • The Renovation
  • The Palm House

Definitely probably not

  • The End of Everything
  • The Disappeareds
  • The Things We Never Say
  • Shuggie Bain

Maybe / possibly

He lists several others he’s intrigued by, including:

  • Black Bag
  • The Shadow of the Object

Closing point

He wraps by arguing the longlist still has plenty of variety—especially with many books under 300 pages—so readers can choose what fits instead of trying to “keep up.”

Personalities appearing

  • Daniel (the video’s host; BookTube, “Guilty Feet”)

Original video