Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners but is currently hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog. This meme is quite easy to follow – just randomly pick a book from your to-be-read list and explain why you want to read it. It is that simple.

This week’s book:

All Them Dogs by Djamel White

Blurb from Goodreads

For fans of Lisa McInerney, Gabriel Krauze, and Graeme Armstrong, All Them Dogs is a fizzing debut from one of Ireland’s most striking new voices

Tony Ward has landed back in Lucan with his chest puffed up and a chip on his shoulder. After five years in the UK, staying out of trouble just like he’d been told to do, he’s returned home to his west Dublin estate ready to reinstate himself into the gangland scene.

But things are different now. Tony’s old mentor is dead and his best pal Kenny Boyle has gone on the straight and narrow. That won’t do, so when an opportunity to work directly for Darren ‘Flute’ Walsh, an enforcer of notorious crime boss Aengus Lavelle presents itself, it seems like a no brainer.

Flute Walsh is a far-cry from the meek, quiet boy Tony knew in school. Working as his left-hand man offers a level of security against repercussions for the crimes he’d gone on the run for as well as giving him a way into the life he wants but none of that stops the big-man Lavelle making it clear that any trouble from his past will be Tony’s alone to answer for.

Already burned by the empty promises of one dead mentor, Tony is keen to prove himself as his own man, but there is a pull to Flute Walsh, one he’s felt before. With the fragments of his past life still in the rearview and a whole new gang of headbangers to contend with, it is a pull too hard to resist. As Tony turns his back on the paper-thin structures that support him he looks for stability in his new, brutal surroundings. But where is there room for love in a world like this, where anything that’s buried is always unearthed and retribution is never far away?

Why I Want To Read It

Happy Monday, everyone! We are already in the second half of the eighth month of the year. How time flies! As always, time takes its natural course, ever flowing forward, with no regard for any of us. It does not wait for anyone. As such, I hope the year is going—and will continue to go—well for everyone. I hope the rest of the year will be kind to you all. Things are still erratic, whether at work or in geopolitics. I hope the tensions in the Middle East begin to de-escalate and that peace is gradually restored. I also hope things start to slow down at work. They remain hectic, and I am hoping things will start looking up. It has been a damp start to the week; it has been raining since the weekend. Actually, it has been some time since we’ve seen the sun. Anyway, I hope everyone has had a good start to the workweek. I hope everyone is in a place of comfort. The new week beckons with hope and fresh starts, and I hope it unfolds in everyone’s favor. Wishing you continued success and happiness. I hope everyone is doing well, in body, mind, and spirit.

I know not many people get excited about Mondays (though I’m sure a few are out there). I, too, am not exactly a fan. Still, I hope that as the week progresses, you gradually gain some momentum. I hope everyone’s workweek goes smoothly. More importantly, I hope everyone is doing well mentally, emotionally, and physically. I spent four months exploring the works of European authors. What was supposed to be a two-month stay doubled. I am thankful that I was finally able to complete all the European books on my reading challenge list. I then pivoted toward a literary landscape closer to home: Asian literature. I commenced this journey in July, and although I have already completed the Asian works in my reading challenge, I decided to extend it into August. There are still several works by Asian writers that I want to read, including my current read, The Guide by R.K. Narayan.

This week’s featured book, however, is not by an Asian writer. I have been too focused on work that I didn’t notice that it is already Booker Prize season again. The prestigious award has introduced me to many outstanding books over the years, including Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children. I always make it a point to read the year’s winner as soon as I can obtain a copy; I have actually read all the winning works since 2015. I find this year’s longlist is particularly interesting, though that is rarely surprising. As always, it features several writers I have yet to discover, and the works span different genres. Of the thirteen longlisted authors, I have previously encountered only three, all through the Booker Prize; I have read the work of two of them. Just like last week, I am featuring the work of one of the ten writers whom I have just encountered through this year’s longlist.

Apparently, Irish writer Djamel White is the youngest of the nominees, at 28. His Booker Prize-nominated novel, All Them Dogs, is apparently his debut; it is one of three debut novels on the longlist. This explains why I have never heard of White before. Anyway, All Them Dogs chronicles the story of Tony Ward, who just returned to West Dublin after staying in the United Kingdom for five years. Apparently, Tony Ward is a member of a gang that once wreaked havoc in the city. However, upon his return home, he learned of the demise of his old mentor. Meanwhile, his friend Kenny Boyle has gone straight. This made Tony eager to reestablish himself in the city’s underground scene. The premise piques my interest. However, if there is one facet to the book I am actually looking forward to, it is the quality of writing. I have always loved Irish writers and their writing. For now, I can only hope to secure a copy once it is released.

How about you, fellow readers? How was your Monday? What books have you recently added to your reading list? Which among the Booker Prize longlisted books are you looking forward to? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

For now—happy Monday, and as always, happy reading and keep safe!