Some Booker Progress | A Start on a Tee | August 2026

Hello to another Monday! Is it possible that we’re 10 days into August? Last Monday I went on and on about the temperate weather so I think it’s my fault that last week was muggy and all the rain showers in the area seemed to miss us. We’re expecting more muggy weather this week with little to no rain in the forecast, so summer has returned. I’m hoping it can only linger so long and that Autumn is just around the corner.

The intro picture is my typical reading situation these days. In bed with Agnes in my face, trying to move my book or Kindle around her body so that I can read. It hasn’t been conducive to progress, but I do have two books to share this week, as well as a start on a new knitting project. Here we go!

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Knitting:

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I started Flower Child last week. I didn’t want to buy new yarn and I’ve had this KnitPicks Palette in Conch for at least a decade so I decided to just use it. It’s not a color that I typically wear anymore but corals are universally flattering so I think it will be fine for layering. I’m having a lot of fun with this pattern: it starts with a provisional cast to create a pretty scalloped neck and the lace pattern for the yoke looks delightful. I hope I can make some time for it this week!

I haven’t seamed my cowl nor have I fixed the sock issue I shared last week. We’ll see when all of that gets done.

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Reading:

All Them Dogs by Djamel White

I think this was the only Booker title (besides John of John and The Things We Never Say, of course) that was available on Libby for me. And even better: there was no wait for it! So I was able to get to it relatively quickly after the longlist was announced on 7/28, despite not being necessarily interested in it. And to be blunt: I almost wish I would have skipped this one.

This is a contemporary novel set in Ireland that centers around Tony Ward, a young man involved in the local drug gangs. He left Dublin for 5 years after killing someone and needing to lay low. He has returned home with a target on his back.

There are a few positive things for me: the dialogue is vivid and even funny in spots. You can really hear these characters interacting and their voices are strong and unique. There is a love interest with a fellow gang member that has the potential to break through Tony’s walls and humanize him in ways that his actions failed to do throughout the novel.

Overall, I found it difficult to invest any emotional energy into Tony. I never felt like I understood the motivations behind his actions, which tended to be excessively violent and cruel. There was one scene that nearly made me put the book away for good despite being just pages from the end. I kept reading, thinking there would be a redemption, but that never really happened. I don’t feel like I’ll be able to recommend this book to many people, unless that person has a particular interest in modern Irish gangs.

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Switzy by Emma Cline

After a significant decline following a dementia diagnosis, David Hastings is traveling to Europe to tie up some loose ends. He stops in England for a final visit with his daughter and grandson and in France to apologize to an old school friend. None of these people realize that his illness has progressed as far as it has and they certainly have no idea that his final destination is Zurich, where he’s arranged to legally end his life.

I was most struck by his relationship with the only person who had a full picture of David’s plan: his long-suffering assistant Cody. Cody did everything in his power to make everything easy for David and to keep him safe during this journey, yet David barely registered him as a human being. Is this indicative of his illness? Or is this how he has always treated the people in his life? I spent a lot of time contemplating their relationship and wondered if this helped explain his utter loneliness.

Cline’s writing in this novel is outstanding. Her descriptions of David’s mind felt so real and devastating; her ability to capture his struggles with his memory was superb. David’s musings on what’s important in life felt so important, given that he spent most of his life wrapped up in work and seemed to take the people around him for granted. This is a book I’ll be wholeheartedly recommending in the future!

This is my first book by Emma Cline but I’m planning to hunt down her backlist after reading this one. Do you have a favorite by her?

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This week I’m planning to read The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley and The Disappearers by Marlon James (I was very surprised to be approved on Netgally last week!) to continue with my Booker Prize reading. And I’m hoping to finally finish The Mirror and the Light on audio because it has been quite slow-going for me.

How about you? What books are up next? What are you hoping to read before the summer actually ends?

I hope your week gets off to a great start and you find time for the things you love. Take good care!