And the Winner is....
My big bookish news and a deep dive into literary awards
The biggest and best bookish news is that I am working at a brand new absolutely gorgeous bookstore in Middleburg Virginia. Middleburg Books is a dream. Owned by two former school librarians who love books and reading, it has an amazing collection of curated titles. I had so much fun participating in the opening - I helped process and shelve our starting inventory, picked titles for our fiction selections, joined the ribbon cutting, and now get to hand sell my favorite books. Follow us on Instagram @Middleburgbooks, shop with us at Bookshop.org, and definitely visit if you are able. The shop is wonderful and I am so excited to be a small part of it!
And The Winner Is…….
Last week the nominees for the National Book Awards came out and I confess that I have only heard of a few of the titles. These awards leave me feeling a bit out of touch with the literary world. In an attempt to get my head around all the bookish awards, I created a summary.
National Book Awards - Started in 1950, the awards are overseen by the nonprofit National Book Foundation. 25 finalists are nominated for prizes in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature. Announced last week, they will be awarded in November at a benefit dinner - hosted by LeVar Burton this year!
Pulitzer Prize - Established in 1917 by renowned journalist Joseph Pulitzer. This organization currently hands out 23 different awards in areas of journalism, art, photography, drama, and of course fiction. Last year ten awards were handed out in the area of books, drama, and music. Trust and Demon Copperhead were last year’s fiction winners. Here is a complete list.
Man Booker Prize - Established in 1969, it is awarded for the best work of fiction written in English and published in the UK and Ireland. The winners receive a monetary prize of 50,000 pounds. They also award an international prize for the best work of fiction around the world for a given year. This year’s nominees were announced on Sept 21st and the winners are announced in late November.
Genre and Category Awards
Women’s Prize for Fiction - This prize has gained more notoriety recently. It is a UK-based award given to one female author each year. Barbara Kingsolver won in June for Demon Copperhead. This link lists the winners from 1996 - 2023 and I was excited to see many of my favorite books on the winner’s list.
Edgar Awards - Named after Edgar Allen Poe, these crime book awards are handed out by the Mystery Writers of America each year. Categories include best Mystery Novel, Best Paperback Original, Best Fact Crime, and Best Young Adult Crime.
The Hugo Awards - Presented annually since 1955 for science fiction books. They are voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Convention
Caldecott and Newbery - Both these children’s literature awards are handed out by the American Library Association and are often identified by the medal on the front cover . The Caldecott honors the best in picture books, while the Newbery is for the "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." The Newbery celebrated its 100th birthday last year (2022)! This is a full list of winners and again there are some real gems on this list. Here is a list of Caldecott winners. Fun fact: 1963 Caldecott winner “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats is the book most checked out ever from the New York Public Library system.
Many of the awarding organizations create short lists of nominees. Just like being nominated for a film award, being shortlisted can highlight and bring attention to great writers and books that may be overlooked.
News and Links:
Scorsese’s film adaptation of Killers of the Flower Moon is finally coming to theaters this month! I found this list of additional book-to-movie adaptations coming out soon.
I want these temporary tattoos in my stocking please.
Love this delightful profile of author Richard Osman. I discuss his newest book below.
Looking for some unconventional fall reading suggestions?
The Wild Hunt - With evocative autumn vibes, this historical fiction novel set after WW1 on a remote Scottish Isle was one of my favorites last year.
Wintering - Katherine May’s first book about the power of rest and retreat is structured using the months of the year. She begins in October so this is the perfect time to start for leisurely reading through March.
Shadows of the Wind - an epic International favorite that is steeped in fall. I am thinking of a reread; it has been ages since I enjoyed this enthralling book about books set in Barcelona.
Recent Reads
Lauren Groff’s new novel, The Vaster Wilds is a stunningly beautiful literary accomplishment. Groff takes a traditional story narrative - the hero’s journey and fine tunes it with tightly written prose. Set during the “starving time” of the Jamestown Settlement in the early 1600’s, the story’s narrator is a servant girl who escapes into the woods. She uses her small stature and knowledge as a household laborer to survive in the deep boundless wilderness. She doesn’t know where she is going, only that she is being chased and needs to keep moving. This variation on a wilderness adventure reminds me of Maggie O’Farrel’s recent historical fiction novels (The Marriage Portrait and Hamnet). Though Groff’s writing is beautiful, it is also visceral and brutal. The wilderness is harsh and dangerous, and she describes everything in full detail. While taking the reader on this trek, Groff also takes us back to the events of the young girl’s life in England and to what led up to her fleeing the settlement. I found this propulsive novel unputdownable. [Published: Sept. 2023, 266 pages]
The Land of Milk & Honey is a literary apocalypic novel that begins after a deadly smog has decimated much of the world's food system. People are getting by on a gritty and tasteless flour that provides all the vitamins needed to survive with none of the pleasure associated with food or eating. A resilient cook (she is unnamed), applies and is chosen to become a chef at a secret enclave high in the Italian Alps. Here a wealthy but despicable man is reformulating plants and animals for our diets. Though she has access to everything the world doesn’t, she no longer derives pleasure from food. Life is just as much a struggle for her here as it was down the mountain. Slowly, the chef begins to doubt his program while becoming attached to his genius daughter. I have seen this described as post-apocalyptic, but I don’t think that applies since the world is still functioning and people are looking for solutions to the food crisis. Though the prose is beautifully written and the author spends a lot of time describing food in meticulous detail, it left me cold. As much as it is an ode to food, there are some really off-putting descriptions and scenes that stuck with me more than the beautiful ones. About two-thirds of the way through the action slows to a crawl. Zhang finally lands the plane but for a while it felt like I was flying around without a destination. [Published: Sept. 2023, 234 pages]
This inventive thriller that takes the reader on a wild ride. Ariel accompanies her husband John on a short business trip to Lisbon. When she awakes after their first night, her husband is gone. She waits, she calls, she looks for him; then she begins to worry. When the police and the embassy aren’t concerned, Ariel takes on the search herself. As I got further along I wondered if Ariel was an unreliable narrator. I could feel that something else is going on, but the story is well plotted and it wasn’t until late in the book that the fuller picture came to me. (I don’t want to give anything away here.) The book is told from more than one perspective as the local police and the CIA finally take notice and try to figure out what is happening. The combination of domestic drama tied up in international intrigue really works.[Published: May 2022, 450 pages]
I finished two mysteries by authors that I can always rely on. I have written before about both Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series and Donna Leon’s series set in Venice. I am happy to Report Osman’s fourth in the series is still as delightful as the other three. If you have read the others, you will want to read this. If you have somehow missed these best selling entertaining mysteries, here is another reminder. But definitely start with the first. [Published: Sept 2023, 362 pages]
Unto Us a Son is Given is number 28 in Leon’s mystery series. I always find Inspector Brunetti’s life a welcome escape. There are familiar characters, always wonderful descriptions of Italian food, and a clever plot to be enjoyed. Her books do not need to be read in order though the main characters do grow and develop over time. Venice, though, remains constant throughout all her mysteries. [Published: March 2019, 274 pages]
Going back to authors or genres that are familiar is similar to going back to a beloved restaurant. You know what is on the menu, what to expect and you order your favorite dishes. Because it is familiar does not make it less tasty. The key is to intersperse other reading/eating adventures inbetween so you don’t tire of them.
What a perfect job for you! Congrats. I have read a couple reviews of Lauren Geoff’s new book and wasn’t sure I wanted to try it, but your review makes me want to give it a shot.
What a fantastic fit for a bookish gal. So happy for you-