Pulitzer Prize Novel

Who will be the 2017 Pulitzer Prize Winner for Fiction?


April 4, 2017

The 2017 Pulitzer Prizes will be announced on April 10th at 3:00 PM EST. The names of the finalists are not released ahead of time, and so the winner is a surprise every year. For ten years we have been posting a prediction list prepared by a fellow Pulitzer collector and research scientist. The list is the product of a regression analysis that weighs a given book's performance in other book awards, as well as the author's past award and nomination history.

Here is the final prediction list for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

1.   The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
2.   LaRose by Louise Erdrich
3.   Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett
4.   Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
5.   Moonglow by Michael Chabon
6.   Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
7.   The Association of Small Bombs by Karen Mahajan
8.   What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell
9.   Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
10. The Nix by Nathan Hill
11. The Sport of Kings by C.E. Morgan
12. Christodora by Tim Murphy
13. Missile Paradise by Ron Tanner
14. An Unrestored Woman by Shoba Rao
15. The Unseen World by Liz Moore



Comment on our lists, or offer your own opinion about who you think will win the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction:
Mstexexec - Dec 20, 2016
Thanks! I have read The Help and did You Ever Have A Family. I have documented your other recommendations in my list and will check them out. I had just purchased Doubters Almanac per others' recommendations. I would challenge you to check out some SciFi that isn't too far off the planet. No doubt you would enjoy The Kingkiller Chronicles as well as Dawn of Wonder. The characters are just as great as the ones in Gentleman.
Likes: 1
EdParks - Dec 20, 2016
@Mstexexec Perfect! THE NIGHT CIRCUS I would have suggested, not knowing anything about you. Okay, here are my picks for you. In no particular order, because they are all wonderful.

*BRIDGE OF SIGHS (2007) by Richard Russo.

*THE HELP (2009) by Kathryn Stockett

*BEL CANTO (2001) by Ann Patchett

*BEAUTIFUL RUINS (2012) by Jess Walter

*A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING (2013) by Ruth Ozeki

*DID YOU EVER HAVE A FAMILY (2015) by Bill Clegg

I believe the perfect follow up for A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW would be BEAUTIFUL RUINS. But, you really can't go wrong with any of the above novels.

Personally my tastes run pretty much literary fiction. My favorite novel is ANNA KARENINA.
Mstexexec - Dec 20, 2016
I am 62. Some of my favorite books are.... Ready? In no order of importance... Gentleman in Moscow, Night Circus, Goldfinch, Red Rising Trilogy, Kingkiller Chronicles, The Golem and the Jenni, And the Mountains Echoed, Book Thief, Dragon Tattoo series, Buried Giant, Lila and the rest of that series, boys in the Boat, Unbroken, Bird Box, 11/22/63, Ready Player One, Reunion of Ghosts was an all time favorite, A Little Life, Bettyville, curious Incident of the Dog in Nighttime, Wolf Called Romeo, Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses. I like great writing with awesome characters regardless of the genre. What about you?
EdParks - Dec 20, 2016
@Mstexexec What other books, other than A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW, did you really, really enjoy? And what is your approximate age?
EdParks - Dec 20, 2016
@Mstexexec Just click on 2017 Prediction 2 on the Predictions section at PPrize.com. See the very first entry on this page from tklein27.
Mstexexec - Dec 20, 2016
I saw Gentleman in Moscow on the list and was so happy. I also finished Moonglow and thought it was very good but not as good as Gentleman. What can I read to follow these without being disappointed? Right now I'm finishing Paper and Fire and even though it is YA I love the series, The Great Library
Mstexexec - Dec 20, 2016
I don't know about the new site!
EdParks - Dec 20, 2016
@Mstexexec Of what book are you referring? Don't forget to move over to the new site.
Mstexexec - Dec 20, 2016
I saw that and it made me very happy! Any suggestions on what book is best to try to follow that one? Nothing will compare
Likes: 1
Mstexexec - Dec 14, 2016
@Marybethking @EdParks @Mstexexec It seems that we share a lot of the same opinions :)
jfieds2 - Dec 14, 2016
@Mstexexec For original research, I was referring specifically to the history award. ALL THE LIGHT won for fiction. There need not be original research. I was pointing out why a book similar to BOYS IN THE BOAT is unlikely to win the Pulitzer for history.
Mstexexec - Dec 14, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks @Mstexexec @jfieds2 Oh, yes, I adored LILA and read all of the books in that series but LILA was the best.
Mstexexec - Dec 14, 2016
@EdParks @Mstexexec Regarding ALL THE LIGHT... I'll take your Umpteenth and raise it another Umpteenth. A LITTLE LIFE was better, although I'm sure you and others on this board have favorites as well.
Pending
Pat52 - Dec 14, 2016
@Marybethking I understand Oprah recommended Underground Railroad, but how did you get Obama in the mix??
Marybethking - Dec 14, 2016
@AlexKerner I really enjoyed 'Rules of Civility' awhile back so am looking forward to reading this. I'm kind of convinced that 'To the Bright Edge of the World' will at least be nominated.
Marybethking - Dec 14, 2016
@EdParks @Mstexexec I would walk up to NoOprah and Obama and tell them both that that book is better serviced as toilet paper. Then, we will all put on our big boy/girl pants and go get a milkshake as diversity must be celebrated from all angles not just those that support our tidy little opinion; whatever that might be. Literary merit aside.
Marybethking - Dec 14, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @ey814 @EdParks 'The Round House' to me is her best work.
AlexKerner - Dec 11, 2016
@tklein27 sounds good. thanks for all your work in getting this set up.
Likes: 3
tklein27 - Dec 11, 2016
All,

So it sounds like Disqus comments is a decent replacement. It's not possible to take all the current comments on this page and import them into the new comment system. So I will leave two 2017 Prediction pages on the menu - this one with the old comments and the other (2017 Prediction 2) with the new comments. Try and use 2017 Prediction 2 for any new thoughts, and let's see if we can get the all discussions moved off this page by the end of the year. Sound like a plan?
Likes: 1
BRAKiasaurus - Dec 11, 2016
Good god! Why does bloomberg look like a geocities site from the 90s?!
Likes: 1
BrentNichols - Dec 10, 2016
Bloomberg published their top books of 2016. Although mostly nonfiction there are a couple of books listed that have been talked about on this forum.

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-bloomberg-book-list/
Likes: 1
EdParks - Dec 10, 2016
@ey814 @jfieds2 Not Greenlight, but BookCourt.
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AlexKerner - Dec 10, 2016
@BrentNichols saving myself for the break to tackle Barkskins and Swing Time
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EdParks - Dec 10, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks @Mstexexec @jfieds2 @BRAKiasaurus You are correct, an imprint is a more appropriate arbiter than an entire publishing house.
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ey814 - Dec 10, 2016
@EdParks @ey814 @Mstexexec @jfieds2 @BRAKiasaurus I agree on limiting submissions by publishing houses (or, at least, imprints) to one or two nominations. I suspect you're right that under the current system, really long books have a disadvantage (although, Executioners Song is one big book!). And, LET ME BE FRANK WITH YOU was a groaner of a title.
Likes: 2
EdParks - Dec 10, 2016
@BrentNichols One of the best things about BARKSKINS is that while the book is a novel and everything is connected it reads more like interconnected stories. And it is easy to put down when breaks occur in the novel as new characters, locations, and situations are introduced.
Likes: 2
EdParks - Dec 10, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks @Mstexexec @jfieds2 Since reading is such a large part of my life I would like to see my favorite books win the top literary awards. But my favorite books seldom, if ever, win awards. Still, I would like to feel confident that my favorite books were read and duly considered, but I don't. This is why I believe the publishers should submit only one book per category, per year. Just take last year's CITY ON FIRE. I'm not saying it should have won the Pulitzer Prize, well maybe I am, because it was the smartest and best written novel that I have read in years. But how many, of the requisite individuals who read the Pulitzer Prize books, are prepared to spend the required time to read a 1,000 page novel? I wonder how many books the jurors actually read every year.

I believe it was @BRAKiasaurus who mentioned Elizabeth Strout's book titles as being weak, what about the titles chosen by Richard Ford? Particularly, LET ME BE FRANK WITH YOU.
Likes: 2
BrentNichols - Dec 10, 2016
Hi Ed, Thanks, I'll pick it back up after Christmas.
Likes: 3
ey814 - Dec 10, 2016
@EdParks @Mstexexec It is a crap shoot, I agree. And it is certainly subjective... each of hte panels @jfieds2 describe bring with them biases, tastes, etc. I liked ALL THE LIGHT as a read, but thought it was too predictable and needed an edit, and don't think it should have won the Pulitzer. As I've said several times, I think LILA by Marilynne Robinson should have won that year. If you'll recall, that was the year that the Pulitzer board requested a fourth nomination from the jury, as they were unhappy with the three recommended (Richard Ford's LET ME BE FRANK WITH YOU, Joyce Carol Oates' LOVELY, DARK, DEEP, and Laila Lalami's THE MOOR'S ACCOUNT were the finalists). One presumes, though obviously can't know, that the finalists were the three the board were unhappy with and ALL THE LIGHT was the fourth from the jury. I think, considering UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, all the hoopla and recognition at this point may play against it at Pulitzer time. I would also note that although some visible books get picked, an awful lot of sleepers end up as winners (Harding's TINKERS for one) or, moreso, finalists. Think about last year's finalists... Kelly Link's GET IN TROUBLE and Margaret Verble's MAUD'S LINE. Neither of those were on anyone's radar, and could easily have won the Pulitzer. So, it's a crap shoot!
Likes: 1
ey814 - Dec 10, 2016
@jfieds2 Which Brooklyn Indie is closing? Not Greenlight, I hope.
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jfieds2 - Dec 10, 2016
@edparks That is the word. I first met Emma when she was still a bookseller there, just before her first novel came out. (She'd had one or two story collections.
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EdParks - Dec 10, 2016
@jfieds2 @AlexKerner Yes, but isn't author Emma Straub coming to the rescue with a new store?
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EdParks - Dec 10, 2016
@Mstexexec For the umpteenth time no one will ever convince me that ALL THE LIGHT YOU CANNOT SEE is a well-written, or deserving of America's most prestigious literary award.
Likes: 2
EdParks - Dec 10, 2016
@AlexKerner @Mstexexec And the other literary awards aren't popularity contests, at least on some level?
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EdParks - Dec 10, 2016
@Mstexexec How awards work is totally incomprehensible. @ey814 has managed to wrestle the statistics to it's knees, but it is still a crap shoot for the Pulitzer or any other literary award which is necessitated by subjective opinion.
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Mstexexec - Dec 10, 2016
Thanks you for the information. I was most curious about the Pulitzer because I disagreed with All the Light You Cannot See it was a delightful book but didn't seem to have the original research you mentioned.
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EdParks - Dec 10, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @ey814 @EdParks I am able to totally accept talking cats and raining fish from Haruki Murakami, but just couldn't wrap my head around a pursuing, vengeful rolling head. Even if it is based on Ojibwe legend
Likes: 1
EdParks - Dec 10, 2016
@ey814 @BrentNichols If you have liked any of Annie Proulx's writing give this one a go. It is by a large measure her best book
jjose712 - Dec 10, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @EdParks @ey814 Olive Kitteridge is an ok novel but i liked Telex from Cuba and A plague of doves way more.

Of course any award relies on the personal tates of the jury so it's quite easy to not agree. If the novel is from a small publisher that carried little attention till the award or it's experimental it will receive less backlash than if it's a big hit (and people have bipolar opinions about the novel).

Strout wasn't really successul here in Spain, but My name is Lucy Barton is probably the foreign literary hit of the year (maybe behind The girls)
Likes: 1
jjose712 - Dec 10, 2016
@EdParks In fact there are three gay men in the list. Last year was specially prominent in gay writers and big awards.

What i find interesting is Garth Greenwell success because that type of novel generally is relegated for lgbt awards and he bursted that bubble in great fashion.

In the two other cases is more the case of a writer who has previous success and the theme is not specifically gay (which was the case of Marlon James and James Hannaham last season) which explains a more mainstream attention
Likes: 2
jfieds2 - Dec 9, 2016
@Mstexexec I disagree. Awards really are not getting more commercialized. You don't see John Grisham or James Patterson or Stephen King winning any "major" awards -- National Book Award; National Book Critic Circle Award; PEN/Faulkner Award. As @AlexKerner said, forget about the Goodreads Award. It's simply a popularity contest. Most people voting probably had read very few of the other eligible books. This is not the case with other awards. No other awards are voted by the general public, or by people who have only read a handful of books.

If you are curious about other awards, here is some info. I am doing this from memory, with only some very quick research. I am fairly confident of my information, but it might not be 100%.

National Book Award - chosen by a panel of five or so (it's changed over the years), often 2-3 writers; usually an academic; and sometimes a critic. Little is known about the process of how they choose the finalists and winner, but they certainly read a lot of 500+ books nominated (publishers nominate books) every year.

The National Book Critic Circle Award - chosen by a panel of 15 or so critics. The panel choose nominees amongst themselves. It seems that they then have some method of sharing opinions and agreeing on nominees.

Pulitzer Prize - chosen by a panel of three; often a writer, critic and academic. The biggest difference with the Pulitzer is that the judges choose three books and pass those three on the the Pulitzer Prize Board. The Board is mostly made up of mostly journalists. It's the Board that has the final say.

As to your comment about being a snob. Not at all. A LITTLE LIFE was an good book and got a lot of attention by different awards. It was a finalists for the National Book Award; Man Booker Award (one I didn't mention, but extremely prestigious). It won the newly established Kirkus Award.

Here is the reason why I think it didn't win the Pulitzer or more prizes: it was largely divisive. Many people either loved it or hated it. I think I am in the minority of merely liking it. I think a book that is universally "liked," but not loved, could do better among awards juries than a divisive book, especially as a compromise pick to fill the 5th spot on a list of finalists, for example.

As for THE BOYS IN THE BOAT and the Pulitzer, the directive of the history prize is "for a distinguished and appropriately documented book on the history of the United States." The truth is that the jury tends to chose books by academics or books with deep original research, often with deep archival work. The Prize doesn't use the word, but I'd say the book should be a "major accomplishment." BOYS was a very exciting read, but it wasn't new scholarship.
Likes: 1
AlexKerner - Dec 9, 2016
@Mstexexec well the Goodreads award is a popularity contest, so you really shouldn't put that much weight into that. That said, Underground Railroad was getting lots of buzz way before Oprah announced it as one of her books. That certainly helped with its sales but it was going to get critical acclaim irrespective of the O on the cover.
Likes: 1
BRAKiasaurus - Dec 9, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks good to hear--I, for one, loved "Kavalier and Clay" but hated "Telegraph Avenue"
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Mstexexec - Dec 9, 2016
I am sure it is a fine book but I am pouting a bit because it beat Gentleman in Moscow for Goodreads 2016. I am still a novice at understanding how all of the awards work, but it has become more evident to me that the awards are getting more and more commercialized. If Oprah endorses and sells a zillion books on Amazon and therefore gets more votes, it is a contender. It doesn't matter if another book is better. There are so many examples of this where Stephen King, James Patterson or other commercial writers win, but, in my opinion, their books don't compare to their competition. I will never understand why A Little Life or Boys in the Boat did not win the Pulitzer. Maybe I'm reaching snob level. 😁
Likes: 1
BRAKiasaurus - Dec 9, 2016
@ey814 @BRAKiasaurus @EdParks I still need to read "Plague". I think I made a mistake starting with "LaRose" (my very first and only Erdrich read), which was fine but not spectacular. I agree with EdParks about that particular novel, I think--however it showed enough skill that I intend to read her more celebrated work.
ey814 - Dec 9, 2016
@jfieds2 @AlexKerner And just to update last year's TOC outcomes, SYMPATHIZER went out in the quarterfinals (3rd round), losing to Bats of the Republic.
ey814 - Dec 9, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @EdParks @ey814 I preferred PLAGUE OF DOVES by Erdrich that year. I've grown to appreciate OLIVE KITTERIDGE, though.
Likes: 1
ey814 - Dec 9, 2016
@BrentNichols The length has been what deters me from reading it as well... it will have to do well in the award nominations over the next few months to compel me to take it on!
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BrentNichols - Dec 9, 2016
Mike, I'm looking forward to reading your analysis. Started BARK SKINS but put it down, there was nothing wrong with it I just don't have the patience for a 732 pg book right now.
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BRAKiasaurus - Dec 9, 2016
@EdParks @ey814 @BRAKiasaurus I'm enjoying the quiet observations in "Lucy Barton", but I'm not yet convinced it will make any lasting impact on me. It almost seems like a long short story. Haven't read anything but "Olive Kitteridge", which I loved. Whether it should have won, I'm unsure (i.e., that comes down mostly to the strength of the competition...would "Shadow Country" or "Telex from Cuba" or "A Person of Interest" have been better choices? I haven't yet read any of those, but I'd imagine there are those who can make the case). But it is a very good set of stories.

But good god, Strout really can't title things well.
Likes: 1
ey814 - Dec 9, 2016
@jfieds2 @ey814 @OneMoreBook Yes, it's time to get working on the first list. I've been traveling, and upon my return, found that my license for the SPSS package I use to run the analysis has expired, so I'll need to get that updated before I can look at the specific databases. From last year, here are the variables that were the strongest predictors of the PP:

1. The book was a finalist for the NBCC

2. The book won the NBCC

3. The book made the ALA Notable books list

4. The book appeared on the NYTimes 10 best books list

5. The book was an NBA finalist

6. The book was an LA Times Book award finalist

7. The book was a PEN/Faulkner finalist

8. The book won the NBA

9. The author had won a PEN/Faulkner award within 5 years

10. Book appeared on the NY Times Notable book list

11. The author won the NBCC within the past 5 years

12. Author was previous NBCC winner

13. Book won the PEN/Faulkner award

The first 5 are weighted much heavier than the rest, and the 1st two (NBCC finalist, winner) are very heavily weighted. Year after year, the NBCC award winners and finalists also win the Pulitzer.

Since I can't open my datafile at the moment, I'll have to go from memory. I know SYMPATHIZER was a PEN/Faulkner finalist, was on the ALA list, and was on the NYTimes 100 notable books list, so that was where most of its points came from. ALL THE LIGHT was a NBA finalist, on the ALA list, was one of the NYTimes 10 best books (and, thus, also on the NYTimes Notable books list).

Once I get SPSS upgraded, I'll begin compiling the database for this year's analysis... probably the week before the new year, I'm guessing.
Likes: 2
EdParks - Dec 9, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks @BRAKiasaurus Perhaps Elizabeth Strout will be like Jim Harrison, Paul Auster, Richard Ford, and Donald Ray Pollock more popular in Europe than they are in the United States.
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ey814 - Dec 9, 2016
@EdParks I'm at about the same point in MOONGLOW and enjoying it a lot.
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ey814 - Dec 9, 2016
@AlexKerner @Mstexexec Add me into the "worth reading" crowd. UNDERGROUND is still one of my favorite books of the year.
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jfieds2 - Dec 9, 2016
@OneMoreBook @AlexKerner I bet you are not going to reveal where this magical place is...
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ey814 - Dec 9, 2016
@OneMoreBook @AlexKerner Man, I need one of those transfer stations near me! Very cool.
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ey814 - Dec 9, 2016
@EdParks @BRAKiasaurus I read Strout's "BURGESS BOYS" and thought it was okay. I haven't read BARTON yet, but it seems to be more popular in Europe than even the US (e.g., Booker finalist).
Likes: 3
ey814 - Dec 9, 2016
@jfieds2 @AlexKerner My "evaluation: of the TOB's utility for predicting the Pulitzer from last year's thread:

Okay, so let me try to objectively evaluate the utility of the TOB to predict the Pulitzer. I'll honestly try to be objective! (And, I would note, I think the TOB is a fun exercise and I follow it each year.)

The first point to be made is to recognize that in the 11 years it has existed (2005-2015, not counting this year, obviously, since the Pulitzer hasn't been awarded), the TOB winner has won the Pulitzer Prize four times (OSCAR WAO, GOON SQUAD, ORPHAN MASTER'S SON, plus 2007 THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy). That's a 36% hit rate. Our own humble prediction model has selected the Pulitzer winner in the #1 slot twice (GOON SQUAD, GOLDFINCH) in the eight years there have been predictions (25% hit rate). Round 1 goes to TOB.

Looking at "near misses," in the 11 years of its existence, the eventual Pulitzer winner (from among those years that the Pulitzer winner did not win the TOB, was in the quarterfinals (8 books remaining) once (GOLDFINCH) and in the finals (top 2 books) once (ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE). So, with four winners and two near misses, that's a 54% hit/near hit rate. The PPrize list, in addition to two Pulitzer winners being rated #1, had one #3 (OSCAR WAO), AND TWO #4S (ORPHAN MASTERS, ALL THE LIGHT). So two #1, one #3, and two #4s means 5/8 or a 62% hit/near hit rate. Round 2 goes to PPrize.

Here are what I see as the Achilles heel issues for the TOB as a Pulitzer predictor. First, it allows books by non-U.S. citizen authors. Four times in the 11 years, the winner was not a U.S. Citizen (CLOUD ATLAS AND WOLF HALL from British authors, THE SISTERS BROTHERS by a Canadian author, and THE ACCIDENTAL by a Scottish author). So, although 36% of the time it has been won by the eventual Pulitzer winner, another 36% of the time it has been won by someone who is not even eligible for the Pulitzer.

Second, the TOB contenders (e.g., all books that enter Round 1) are determined by the folks who run the TOB. So, four times the eventual Pulitzer winner was not even among the books contending (GILEAD, MARCH, OLIVE KITTERIDGE, TINKERS). In six of the 8 years with the PPrize list, the winner was in the top 10. TINKERS was #32 on the list that year, so "in the running," as it were. (There was no award given in 2012. Two of the three finalists (SWAMPLANDIA, TRAIN DREAMS) were on the PPrize list, one (SWAMPLANDIA) was in the TOB.

All of the TOB winners that did not win the Pulitzer (and who would be eligible for the Pulitzer) (A MERCY by Toni Morrison, THE GOOD LORD BIRD by James McBride, and STATION ELEVEN by Emily St. John Mandel) were in the top 10 on the PPrize list.

To some degree, the TOB has been successful at "predicting" winners because the initial list of contenders in the TOB draws heavily from books that have gotten attention in the months leading up to the TOB. All four of the TOB winners that went on to win the Pulitzer were NBCC winners or finalists. That said, the weighting formula in the PPrize system is heavily impacted by the NBCC finalists and winners list as well. So, to some degree, both systems are drawing information from the same sources. That is why, this year, we end up with the same book (SELLOUT) at the top of both lists. I'm rooting for the TOB winner to win this year :-)
Likes: 3
OneMoreBook - Dec 9, 2016
@AlexKerner Thanks much for the TofB link. Lord, it is indeed LONG when it comes to a list! But, I love getting a chance to look at all the book covers, especially, to memorize them, since I live in a New England town that has what is called a "transfer station," where people can leave any kind of items - from books to clothes to electronics to household items, etc. - for other people to pick up, instead of having the "trash" going into the landfill. Over the last 20 years, I have found EVERY book I want to read, eventually ... and have even found many coveted first editions of Pulitzer winners and more ... including three 1st editions of "Gone With The Wind," an many, many others, often signed. (The transfer station is a cool place - about the size of a two-car garage - and the town Public Works department empties if every week, to start the "collection of goodies" anew, year-round. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of books appear there, on built-in bookshelves along the walls, every week, for me and others to dig through.) :-)
Likes: 2
EdParks - Dec 9, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @EdParks Perplexed I am by the books that are getting all the accolades this year. Contrary to several on this site I loved OLIVE KITTERIDGE and applauded its selection as the winner of the Pulitzer Prize. I didn't have a first edition and was right on the verge of spending $200.00 for one when I found an as new/as new copy at HalfPrice Books. Then they flooded the market and I now own 5 copies. That said, I haven't cared much for her last two books. I particularly didn't care for MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON. It was one of my biggest disappoints of the year.
Likes: 1
jfieds2 - Dec 9, 2016
@AlexKerner Misread here!
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jfieds2 - Dec 9, 2016
@AlexKerner @jfieds2 Indeed. They have been close to perfect recently. I'd say they are due for a miss! Despite having a queue of 2016 reads longer than I may finish before the Pulitzer is announced, I picked up A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW last night due to the buzz here, and the recommendation of someone I trust a lot. (Another motivation was that it was a signed first and I was at my favorite Brooklyn indie bookstore that just announced that they are closing.)
Likes: 3
BRAKiasaurus - Dec 9, 2016
@EdParks It may be more correlation than causation, but I applaud it. It is this diversity, this richness, that will allow us to persevere. I must confess that I keep waffling between fiction and nonfiction about climate change and race. That said, I am currently reading "The Mothers"--a little more than half way through, and I don't entirely understand the plaudits it has received (however, I am fully willing to concede that timing is everything for me...it may have been a mistake to pick this up directly after Ethan Canin's overlooked novel). I am also reading Strout's novel "My Name is Lucy Barton" and enjoying it thoroughly. Elizabeth Strout is really terrible at titling, though...don't you agree?

Garth Greenwell's author photo always reminds me a little of Capote's controversial (at the time) author photo for "Other Voices, Other Rooms".

https://iconicphotos.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/yehk4-146677-02.jpg?w=700

Likes: 1
EdParks - Dec 9, 2016
@AlexKerner Three, possibly four, of my top five books of the year didn't even make this list? It includes the same group of books that have appeared on every other list with the addition of some real obscure ones. At least for me, that is.
Likes: 2
AlexKerner - Dec 9, 2016
@EdParks @AlexKerner @Mstexexec yeah i was surprised. Especially in a list that big.
EdParks - Dec 9, 2016
@AlexKerner No GENTELMAN IN MOSCOW?? To quote my new friend @Mstexexec "There is no justice :) How does that even happen?
Likes: 1
AlexKerner - Dec 9, 2016
@jfieds2 @AlexKerner well to be fair Gilead was ToB's first year. I guess my impression was of the more recent years of the tournament. .
Likes: 7
EdParks - Dec 9, 2016
This morning I was perusing an article from BuzzFeed concerning the 24 best fiction books of 2016. What struck me was the diversity of the authors. It is so dramatic I wondered if possibly it was subconsciously a pushback at Donald Trump. Of the 24 books mentioned 2 were written by African American men, 7 by women of African descent, 2 by Asian women, 3 by Asian men, 5 by Caucasian women (1 of which is Irish and 1 of which is alopecian), 2 by gay men, 1 Hispanic, 1 Jewish American, and 1 who has duel citizenship in Austria and the United States. Now that is what I call diverse.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/isaacfitzgerald/the-best-fiction-books-of-2016?utm_term=.oed4VxYMn#.kpzbXNQ9v
Likes: 1
AlexKerner - Dec 9, 2016
oh sorry i man not eligible for PP
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jfieds2 - Dec 9, 2016
@AlexKerner Why do you say Do Not Say We Have Nothing is not eligible? It was a Canadian first, but they do translations -- THE VEGETARIAN -- so I don't think that makes it ineligible.

Also TOB also didn't include GILEAD (a huge miss), MARCH and OLIVE KITTERIDGE. Only recently have they been perfect.
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EdParks - Dec 9, 2016
@Mstexexec @EdParks I've just passed 100 pages in MOONGLOW and I will admit that it is much better than I anticipated. I haven't been too impressed with Chabon's last few books, but this is quite good. I was concerned it was going to be a letdown after A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW, but so far it's holding its own. I have noticed that one needs to pay attention, due to the manner in which he is always changing time periods of the grandfather's life.
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Mstexexec - Dec 9, 2016
@EdParks @Mstexexec No worries! I had already previewed this book on Amazon long before your comments and decided that I could not endure another book of this type, especially since I have never enjoyed even one of Oprah's recommendations. I am not easily offended, which means that I may spout off and offend someone else even though it is never my intention to do so. No apologies necessary. I just finished Moonglow last night and gave it 4 stars, mainly because I appreciate his depth of knowledge on the subject matter, rockets, war history, etc.
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AlexKerner - Dec 9, 2016
Longlist for the Tournament of Books:http://www.themorningnews.org/article/the-year-in-fiction-2016notable absences include Do Not Say We Have Nothing and A Gentleman in Moscow. The former is not PP eligible but although not a part of the statistical model here, the latter's absence does not bode well for it winning the PP. I think Tinkers is the only PP winner since the ToB started to not make the final 16.
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BRAKiasaurus - Dec 8, 2016
I have this novel but haven't read it yet--looks like they have a fair (but not perfect) record with good books and award winners.
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EdParks - Dec 8, 2016
@Mstexexec I have worried about my comment concerning THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. Much like the United States Constitution should not be used to limit freedoms, neither should another person's opinion concerning a book determine if you should read, or if you will like it.
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jjose712 - Dec 8, 2016
Kia Corthron won the Center for fiction award with The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter. I remember finding this book interesting when the longlist was released but curiously it's the novel with less buzz of all the shorlist (by far)
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jjose712 - Dec 7, 2016
Has someone read Max Porter's Grief is a thing with feathers? for some reason it's one of the novels i found in a lot of articles but never really paid attention. Now is published in Spain and i'm curious (and it's quite expensive for such short novel so comments will be apreciated before spending my money).

Small publishers here are doing a really great world, after losing my faith i finally able to start reading Billy Lynn's long halftime walk (i think Ang Lee's film has a lot to do with the publication), and i bought A constellation of vital phenomena which looks very promising.

In recent years novels are published here faster than they used. The girls was published barely a couple of months before the original release in the USA. The Sellout, Eileen and The underground railroad will be published at the beginning of 2017.

This webpage is really bad for my economy but i read amazing books that probably would go unnoticed without your comments here
Likes: 1
jjose712 - Dec 7, 2016
@AlexKerner OH The Son. I remember reading here praise after praise about that book while the big awards were totally elusive. I must admit i read it (and love it) due to all positive comments on this site.

I have Amor Towles first novel at home but i didn't read it yet
EdParks - Dec 7, 2016
@jfieds2 @myram319 @EdParks Yes, but in the broadest sense.
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EdParks - Dec 7, 2016
@Mstexexec Not one of my friends liked THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and five of them did not finish. In my opinion, you have made a wise decision in skipping it.
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EdParks - Dec 7, 2016
@AlexKerner @EdParks I am predominately a fiction reader. Historical fiction does not much appeal to me. However, if one wants to place a fictional character in the midst of a historical situation fine. But if you want to place that same fictional character amidst a situation that is a jumbled up mess of fact and fiction I am less okay with that. And if that is the case I would like to know upfront, prior to reading. Hence, my statement that A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW was historically correct, at least as far as I can determine. I suppose it is nothing more than my personal preference.
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jfieds2 - Dec 7, 2016
@myram319 @EdParks Sound a bit like BEAUTIFUL RUINS.
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jfieds2 - Dec 7, 2016
I am probably breaking some user agreement by sharing this publicly, since it is via a paid website -- I thought about sharing the same thing last year, but didn't -- but it's too interesting not to. It's a compilation of all best of year lists. The interesting thing is that THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD is basically a lock for the top spot.

Note: They do intermingle fiction and non-fiction, but the highest ranked non-fiction titles are remarkable accomplishments. I read a chunk of EVICTED and all of HILLBILLY ELEGY.

--

For the ninth year, we're tracking selective "best books of 2016" lists from all over to provide a comprehensive, aggregated view of the consensus picks for the year's very best titles. As usual, we're drawing on newspaper, magazine and online publications and critics, but also count lists from booksellers, librarians, major awards nominees and more. With today's GoodReads picks and other highlighted lists included, we have almost 35 "votes" in so far -- which is a little more than half the expected total, and this is usually right around when we start issuing our semi-weekly aggregations. As we have already mentioned informally, however, all the indications are that Colson Whitehead's National Book Award-winning novel is a lock for "book of the year." Here are the current standings, with the number of "votes" in brackets:

The Best of the Best Books of 2016: The Overall Top 10 So Far

1. The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead [20]

2. Swing Time, Zadie Smith [14]

3. Commonwealth,* Ann Patchett [10]

4. Evicted, Matthew Desmond [8]

5. The Nix,* Nathan Hill [7]

Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi

Another Brooklyn, Jacqueline Woodson

7. The Mothers,* Brit Bennett [6]

Imagine Me Gone, Adam Haslett

Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance

Next [5]:

In the Darkroom, Susan Faludi

News of the World,* Paulette Jiles

When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalanithi

The Vegetarian, Han Kang

The Association of Small Bombs, Karan Mahajan

The Gene, Siddhartha Mukherjee

For a sense of the size of Whitehead's lead, this time a year ago, with the same amount of lists aggregated, Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies and Ta-Nehisi Coates' Between the World and Me were tied for the top position with 11 picks each; in 2014, at the same early point in our counting, Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See and Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven were tied for the top pick, also with 11 picks each.

And for a sense of how much this group might fundamentally change over the next few weeks of list-making, for the last two years seven of the titles on the initial "top 10" were still there at the end (and in 2013, eight of initial favorites made it all the way). But there are 16 more titles with at least three votes so far that could easily rise into the final rankings.
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AlexKerner - Dec 7, 2016
@EdParks @AlexKerner I've noticed that on several occasions you give lots of weight to a book being "historically accurate." I wondered why that is so important for you, as a reader? I am definitely someone who enjoys when an author of fiction is more liberal with facts and accuracy, as long as it serves a purpose to the goals of the novel, but I wondered where you were coming from?
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AlexKerner - Dec 7, 2016
@Mstexexec so although there are a few voices who weren't huge fans of UR, there are a few (including myself) who thought it was a really ambitious and well executed book. It has been on every single Best of list and won the NBA. So although I am totally fine with distinct view points, I would encourage you to go read it.
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Mstexexec - Dec 7, 2016
I skipped Underground Railroad so I'm happy to see comments that it didn't meet expectations, particularly since it beat out Gentleman from Moscow in the 2016 Goodreads Awards. There is no justice. :) How does that even happen?
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EdParks - Dec 7, 2016
@AlexKerner Every review I have seen has been very positive. Publisher's Weekly gave a positive review, but no star. Kirkus Reviews starred it. Goodreads has a rating of 4.4 and LibraryThing has an even higher 4.64. I am not sure why it isn't number one on every award list. It is extremely well written and historically accurate, unlike the 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner. Perhaps it is too gentle.
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AlexKerner - Dec 7, 2016
i should add that the book has a really high rating on Goodreads, so the love for it goes beyond this board
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AlexKerner - Dec 7, 2016
so there seems to be some pretty strong love for A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW, enough to convince me to pick it up. I wonder if it may be like THE SON a few years ago that did not receive much love in year end lists or award nominations but got onto the PP finalist group.

Have we seen GENTLEMAN in many year end lists yet? At this point I am not sure how many "points" it would be receiving to make the first list of the year.
EdParks - Dec 7, 2016
@Mstexexec I agree.
EdParks - Dec 7, 2016
@Mstexexec Only "somewhat" aghast.
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Mstexexec - Dec 6, 2016
By the way, I am currently reading Moonglow and I love Chabon, but there is something a bit disappointing about a story that comes across as great nonfiction when it is really total fiction. I wanted it to be real. At least with GENTLEMAN you go into it with the expectatation of fiction and pick up on the historically correct part. With Moonglow I found that more difficult. Maybe someone else can articulate this better than me.
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Mstexexec - Dec 6, 2016
I told you so! ha! GENTLEMAN should sweep the awards! I don't recall being Aghast that you put down Gentleman for Commonwealth, but I know I felt strongly that Gentleman is a book that no one should miss! This is precisely why I posted that when I got to the end of the book, I simply turned back to page 1 and read it again. I can't remember that last time I did this, but I think it was after reading Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern years ago. At at rate, I was tickled to hear your review !
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EdParks - Dec 6, 2016
I am only two days removed from completing A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW. I have since begun MOONGLOW, but can't keep my mind off A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW, and I have every intention of reading HOMEGOING before year's end. But there is no need to further delay in stating unequivocally that A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW is my favorite book of 2016. I had dropped the novel after reading 60 pages to read Ann Patchett's COMMONWEALTH. @Mstexexec was somewhat aghast that I had done so, but she wasn't aware of my connection with Ann Patchett. Well, I returned to A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW on Thanksgiving evening and it is without question one of the most entertaining, sophisticated and well written novels that I have ever read. I already desperately miss Alexander, Andrey, Emile, Arkady, Vasily, Marina, Anna and Sofia and the entire cast of characters at the Hotel Metropol. The novel is warm-hearted, historically accurate and elegantly written. As I am wont to do, I keep notes on every book that I read. I came away from A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW with eleven legal pages (interesting facts, beautiful sentences, thought provoking ideas) and sixty-one character profiles of a sentence or two. This is a truly lovely book, which has resulted in one of the most pleasantest reading experiences of my life. Not sure how it might do as a Pulitzer contender, but to me that doesn't matter. It is, for me, what I consider to be the best novel of 2016.
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BRAKiasaurus - Dec 6, 2016
@AlexKerner @BRAKiasaurus I think the Pen / Faulkner is more predictive--the Robert Bingham Prize is also relatively new, I believe. And I'd imagine being a debut novel might count as a strike against a novel in the model (but on that count, I could be wrong).
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AlexKerner - Dec 6, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus i am not sure how predictive this award is compared to the Pen/Faulkner
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EdParks - Dec 6, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @EdParks @jfieds2 @OneMoreBook I have a copy, but never read it. I'm just about to post my thoughts on A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW.
BRAKiasaurus - Dec 6, 2016
@EdParks @jfieds2 @OneMoreBook Hey EdParks, did you read Amor Towles' debut? I haven't read either of his books, but I'm curious about both. Have a signed copy of his debut--wondering what you think.
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BRAKiasaurus - Dec 6, 2016
@jfieds2 I agree about Marra--truly a wonderful novelist. Very excited about Peacock Palace. I keep holding my breath for news of a new Paul Harding novel, hahaha...one day, one day...
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BRAKiasaurus - Dec 6, 2016
https://pen.org/2017-pen-america-literary-awards-longlists
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jfieds2 - Dec 6, 2016
Wow. Done with both? There are too many books; we have to name choices...but that's surprising, especially Marra. To be honest, I didn't really care for THE TENTH OF DECEMBER, the only Saunders that I've read, but he was such a big-hearted reader, in person, that I want to give him another shot. On the other hand, I thought both Marra books were brilliant. Breath takingly so. High on my list of best reads in the last 10 years. But tastes vary widely. We've agreed on a lot in the past.
EdParks - Dec 5, 2016
@myram319 @EdParks I did know about these books, but unfortunately I am finished with both authors. I realize that I am going against conventional wisdom, but I just don't like their writing styles. For me there is no excuse for writing unclearly and as far as I am concerned they both write unclearly. I own and have read three George Saunders books and both of Anthony Marra's. But they are just not for me.
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myram319 - Dec 5, 2016
@EdParks THANKS! I guess it's going to come down to book format. Since I have an ARC of Gentleman and only an ebook of the Edge, I am going to go with A Gentleman in Moscow.
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EdParks - Dec 5, 2016
@myram319 Both are marvelous. I truly believe that A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW will be my top book of 2016. It is a big-hearted, elegantly written novel. Historically accurate as to Russia in the mid-twentieth century, after the revolution and the death of Stalin and the rise to power of Nikita Kruschchev, who makes an appearance in the novel. With many Russian literary references (Tolstoy, Chekhov, Pushkin and Dostoevsky), along with world-wide philosophical references (Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, Montaigne) as well. If you are feeling more adventurous go with TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD and traipse across previously uncharted Alaska territories. There is no wrong choice here!
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myram319 - Dec 5, 2016
I enjoyed reading "News of the World" (since I'm from south Texas), and quickly followed it with "Lonesome Dove." What a book! Anyway, I am wondering what to read next. The two I'm considering is "To The Bright Edge of the World" or "A Gentleman in Moscow." Any thoughts?
EdParks - Dec 5, 2016
@OneMoreBook In case you haven't previously viewed this book trailer, I thought I would reference it for you. It nicely sets up Lee Martin's novel LATE ONE NIGHT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm7aBCOeyVI

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myram319 - Dec 5, 2016
@EdParks I haven't seen a listing, but am looking forward to George Saunder's first novel "Lincoln in the Bardo." Also, to Richard Russo's short story book "Trajectory: Stories" In addition, Anthony Marra is supposed to have a new novel out this coming year as well. I found the following info:

COMIING IN 2017: THE PEACOCK PALACE, a new novel from Anthony Marra NYT bestselling author Tony Marra's new novel, The Peacock Palace, is a story of love and betrayal; crime and punishment; graft and blackmail; gangsters and detectives; movie stars and refugees. Based on historical fact and steeped in actual Marra family lore, The Peacock Palace will be an epic novel of magnificent and monstrous transformation in mid-century America. Taking place during the early years of the war (1940-43) on the beautiful, remote Italian island of Lipari and in Hollywood, California, The Peacock Palace will have all the elements of a blockbuster: Hollywood, Italy, romance, intrigue, Mafia corruption, a wide cast of interlinked characters, and Marra's lucid transporting prose. Like his two earlier books, it will be intricate and hugely ambitious, with tremendous cinematic potential.
Likes: 1
AlexKerner - Dec 5, 2016
on jfieds2's note...when will the ranking come out?
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EdParks - Dec 5, 2016
@jfieds2 @EdParks @OneMoreBook I, too, am off last year's pace by six books. Yet, I feel like I read much more consistently this year. Granted there were some real lunkers published in 2016 which may have something to do with it. And I didn't read CITY ON FIRE until this year. That book alone probably equals three books in time spent reading. I was looking forward to HERE I AM but couldn't get into it at all and dropped it after a mere 50 pages. And to beat it all, it took me nearly a week to read those 50 pages. I may give it another go, if I get into a suspended period with nothing to read and nothing on the horizon. I just recently finished A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW and I am leaning towards it as my favorite book of 2016.
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jfieds2 - Dec 5, 2016
@ey814 For people who are new (or those of us who have forgotten) it might be nice to have a reminder of the rankings of the prediction model rankings and weights.

Despite missing the winner in the last two years is being an NBCC finalist still the best single predictor? For those who don't know, going back to 2007 (as far as I could get in a quick search), if you eliminate the no award year, being an NBCC finalist has only missed the Pulitzer winner three times TINKERS, plus the last two years. 6/9 is pretty damn good, but we'll have to see whether or not it misses again.

Can you easily look up the major factor why THE SYMPATHIZER was #9 on the list last year, I'd think NYT Notable would have a lot to do with it. And what about why ALL THE LIGHT was #4 two years ago? NBA winner and NTY Notable, I'd think.

I think I asked last year how good a predictor NYT Notable was, and you said it was middle of the pack of everything. Do you have a record of how many recent winners were **not** on the list? I recall TINKERS wasn't. Going back further was MARCH?

I'm thinking it's a good bet the winner is on the list, but as @OneMoreBook noted there are some baffling omissions this year. He mentioned DOUBTERS ALMANAC, EVERYBODY'S FOOL and others. The link below lists more. This list seems to lean more trade-y literary. THE GIRLS was fine, but not special. Ditto SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF EASE AND PLENTY. I remember enjoying it a lot while reading it, but it was early in the year and I haven't thought of it since.

http://lithub.com/baffling-omissions-from-the-ny-times-100-notable-books-list/
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jfieds2 - Dec 5, 2016
@EdParks @OneMoreBook I am way behind my normal pace of reading this year, and have given time to some lesser 2016 books, sometimes against my better judgement. For instance, I received a free copy of HOW I BECAME A NORTH KOREAN, and because I had just read a translated novella about North Korea/South Korea, gave it a chance. It's nominate for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize along with the *much* much better, HOMEGOING; the much better WHAT BELONGS TO YOU and the merely better THE GIRLS, along with a few others.

I am currently reading A DOUBTERS ALMANAC and LAROSE in tandem. I am loving the prose of LAROSE but loving the plot of ALMANAC more. (I just got to the perspective shift, and like it a lot!)

I am also a big thoroughbred racing fan, so enjoyed SPORT OF KINGS. Still, like you, I also found some of the plot details to be far fetched.

I agree that THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD was merely okay.

I enjoyed COMMONWEALTH a lot. I found the way the story fit together to be pretty masterful, but it's not an award winner.

I am trying to decide how to best use the rest of my reading time for the rest of this year, but will likely be reading some 2016 books into next year. I own firsts of BARKSKINS, HERE I AM, and others, but I am not first and foremost a collector. I've simply made it my mission over the past 6 years or so to have read the Pulitzer winner before the announcement. Since GOOD SQUAD, so far, so good.

My top read of the year so far is HOMEGOING.

It sounds like I really need to read TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD.
Likes: 1
EdParks - Dec 5, 2016
Has anyone seen a listing of anticipated books for 2017? There are only a few that I am aware of, that warranted my interest. I am extremely interested in, and can hardly wait for 4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster. Also, THE MIDNIGHT COOL by Lydia Peelle, HOMESICK FOR ANOTHER WORLD by Ottessa Moshfegh, PERFECT LITTLE WORLD by Kevin Wilson, and SIGNALS: STORIES by Tim Gautreaux. The Cormac McCarthy book THE PASSENGER, originally scheduled for 2016 is now not expected before December 2017.

And, I guess this is a question for @tklein27, will this page become the Disqus Page, or will we need to move to the other page once livefyre discontinues operation?
Likes: 1
EdParks - Dec 5, 2016
@OneMoreBook Interesting comments. I can't say that I agree with everything stated, but I'm often on the outside when it comes to this particular site. I am Ann Patchett's biggest fan, but found COMMONWEALTH to be only slightly better than my least favorite Patchett novel RUN. I think that THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and LAROSE are easily the two most overrated novels of the year 2016. THE SPORT OF KINGS was fine, but I am a fan of thoroughbred horse racing. The aspect that ran least true was having two fillies from the same stable, within a period of ten years running competitively in the Kentucky Derby. I liked THE DOUBTER'S ALMANAC a lot. I especially liked the fact that it got better as it went along. The title, by the way, is from a Descartes quote stressing the importance of doubt in the pursuit of truth. BARKSKINS I thought was really strong and Proulx's best book of her illustrious career as a novelist. MISS JANE and PERFUME RIVER will definitely be in my top five novels for the year. MISS JANE, for the way it covered the arc of one's life after being dealt an unfair hand at birth. And PERFUME RIVER for the manner in which Butler handled the transition of time and characters. I generally agree with you on TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD, but maybe not quite as vociferously. And, just to be contrary, I didn't care much for THE BOOK THIEF. LATE ONE NIGHT has probably stayed more clearly in my mind than any other book that I have read this year. However, already an individual on this site despised it. Perhaps you need to be from the Midwest, or have spent some time with the author, both of which I am fortunate to say I am, and I have. I will be interested in what you think.
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OneMoreBook - Dec 5, 2016
Interesting reading so far this year, and I surely appreciate this site and all the recommendations. A few comments:

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD was just OK, in my opinion. I loved the remark here about it being the "Polar Express" of Railroad novels. :-) I just don't think it has legs for the Pulitzer.

THE SPORT OF KINGS was pretty good, a little contrived, but not really a contender.

A DOUBTER'S ALMANAC was really good, although I can't figure out where the title came from.

Patchett's COMMONWEALTH is my favorite from the author. Beautifully done.

BARKSKINS, although about 300 pages too long, as was THE GOLDFINCH, shows how brilliant Proulx is at her craft. Extraordinary book, and I'll never look at a tree the same way again. Makes me want to go to New Zealand to check out those monster trees!

PERFUME RIVER was too corny/surreal and "same ol' same ol'" for me, and I still prefer Butler's book of short stories that gave him the Pulitzer win in 1993, I believe.

MISS JANE was one of those "TMI" books for me. I struggled through it, though, although it kind of gave me the creeps. I enjoy Watson's writing, for sure, and will dig into his short stories.

My favorite so far this year? TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD, hands-down. An amazing, inventive book ... so beautiful and rich and humbling. Not since THE BOOK THIEF have I enjoyed such a unique novel so much. Wow. Just, WOW! I think it may indeed be a Pulitzer win for Ivey.

OK ... on to read Lee Martin's LATE ONE NIGHT. It's calling to me now.

Read on ...
BrentNichols - Dec 4, 2016
Finished reading To The Bright Edge Of The World and feel like it's going to be in my top 5 for 2016. Has anyone read Truevine by Beth Macy? I started reading TrueVine today, it has received a lot of favorable reviews. Nominated by Kirkus as one on the top Nonfiction books for 2016.

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/beth-macy/truevine/
EdParks - Dec 1, 2016
@AlexKerner My Top 10 List (Plus 2, possibly more) for 2016.

DOG RUN MOON by Callan Wink

A DOUBTER'S ALMANAC by Ethan Canin

THE SPORT OF KINGS by C.E. Morgan

EVERYBODY'S FOOL by Richard Russo

LATE ONE NIGHT by Lee Martin

BARKSKINS by Annie Proulx

THE HEAVENLY TABLE by Donald Ray Pollock

MISS JANE by Brad Watson

TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD by Eowyn Ivey

THE NIX by Nathan Hill

PERFUME RIVER by Robert Olen Butler

A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Amor Towles.

* These books are listed in the order that I read them. I still plan on reading MOONGLOW by Michael Chabon and HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi before year's end. One, or possibly both, could still end up on my "Top Ten List". It will be difficult to select a Top Five and even more difficult to select three possible Pulitzer Prize winners. It has been a very strong year for literary fiction. Especially, for me, when I include books from 2015 that I didn't get to until this year. Such as CITY ON FIRE by Garth Risk Hallberg and EILEEN by Otessa Moshfegh. And the 2017 debut novel ONE GOOD MAMA BONE by Bren McClain.
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AlexKerner - Dec 1, 2016
@BrentNichols i have it on my bookshelf...likely will pick it up next
BrentNichols - Dec 1, 2016
I did read the North Water by Ian McGuire it was long listed for the Manbooker Award. I really liked it a lot, I have a tendency to really enjoy wilderness adventures and usually anything that has a boat in the story.
AlexKerner - Dec 1, 2016
http://nyti.ms/2gOiSiuNY TImes Top 10 list.
EdParks - Nov 28, 2016
@Pat52 To quote William Faulkner--"Read it again."
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EdParks - Nov 28, 2016
@Marybethking @BRAKiasaurus You know, this entire speculation deal with literary awards is absurd. When ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE wins the Pulitzer in 2015 and REDEPLOYMENT wins the National Book Award in 2014 nothing can be rationally predicted, explained or justified. That is, in my humble opinion. But let me take this opportunity to tout A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW, a book I dropped and have returned to recently. It is marvelous!
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EdParks - Nov 28, 2016
@jjose712 @BRAKiasaurus Yeah, but did you read it? It was an okay debut, nothing more.
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Marybethking - Nov 28, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus I'm not trying to sound like a total snob when I say this, but how did 'Before the Fall' make this list when some of the other heavier hitters were left off NY Times review like the ones Ed Parks mentioned? Don't get me wrong, it was an entertaining and quick read but nothing magical there. I guess they're trying to go more mainstream in the list especially right before the Christmas buying season?
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Marybethking - Nov 28, 2016
The thing I find exhilarating about this year is that I have no idea as to who is going to win and I'm still as excited as I have been in years past when I have my heart set on a finalist/ eventual winner. I hadn't read 'The Sympathizer' before it won and found it to be brilliant.
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EdParks - Nov 27, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus A new contender for me is A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW. A book that I dropped to read COMMONWEALTH, due to the fact that Ann Patchett is my all time favorite literary personality. A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW is elegant and beautifully written. Destined for my top novel list of 2016. Unfortunately and somewhat ironically COMMONWEALTH is not.
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BRAKiasaurus - Nov 27, 2016
I feel like I have a good read on what may do well in the non-fiction categories, but the fiction has been all over the place. I feel like there are some obvious stand-outs (as well as a lot of other very strong fiction), and yet, many of these keep getting left off of lists--in favor of lesser novels. (I will here concede that I obviously haven't read all the novels, but if a list includes Stephen King and ignores Canin's book, I can't help but feel--despite my affection for the occasional King book, and with all due gratitude to his book about the craft of writing itself--that they have made a mistake.)
jjose712 - Nov 27, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Another surprise is the omission of The girls, in terms of ratio sales/reviews is the big debut of the year
jjose712 - Nov 27, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus The first thing i noticed was the absence of Imagine me gone and What belongs to you. Last year was quite big in mainstream awards to gay writers and those were the most prominent nominees this year so it's quite surprising, specially because both were nominated to more than one award and the reviews in the New York Times were really good (something that didn't happen with Did you ever have a family last year). In fact Garth Greenwell writes for the new york times.

Apart of that there are a good bunch of novels that i never heard before and some with very mixed reviews. The rest, the usual suspects, big names and award season favourites
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EdParks - Nov 27, 2016
@BrentNichols I suspected that THE SNOW CHILD would be little more than "chick lit" and I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't. Then I expected TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD to be very similar to THE SNOW CHILD and it wasn't. No more presumptions from me as far as Eowyn Ivey's talent and ability is concerned. She is the real deal. I enjoyed both novels, but if I were forced to choose between the two I would lean towards TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD. I am pleased to hear that you enjoyed the novel.
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BrentNichols - Nov 27, 2016
Someone. I think it was either @EdParks or @ey814 mentioned how much they enjoyed To The Bright Edge of The World by Eowyn Ivey. I just finished reading it and It's in my top three for the year.
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EdParks - Nov 26, 2016
@ey814 @tklein27 The entire issue with email verification may be due to the fact that I already had a Disqus account, through by periodic, vehement rants at Republicans and conservatives over the last few months. It never crossed my mind. So I guess I'm good to go.
ey814 - Nov 26, 2016
@EdParks I'd wait until Tom checks in, as administrator, I'm guessing he can reset something.
EdParks - Nov 26, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks Not in junk mail. The account is apparently partially set up with my name, but still they request an email verification. My email address is correct but nothing happens when I request a verification.
ey814 - Nov 26, 2016
@EdParks Frustrating. I saw your earlier post to Tom and went to the new Disqus site and was able to set up an account and received the email to verify it. Have you checked your junk email folder? The email verification messages may be being sent to a junk email. Any chance you have another email address to try?
EdParks - Nov 26, 2016
I am now going on two hours trying to set up a Disqus account. For some reason "they" will not verify my email. Anyone else having problems?
EdParks - Nov 26, 2016
@tklein27 Tom, I have tried to sign up for a Disqus account. Disqus has failed to send me the required verification email to complete the sign up. I have requested it well over 10 times, but I never received the email. Any ideas?
tklein27 - Nov 26, 2016
So after lots of research and experiments I think that Disqus is the best of the lot for comments. I created a duplicate of this page with Disqus. http://www.pprize.com/Discussions.php/2017-Prediction-2

Please give it a try and let me know what you think.
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BRAKiasaurus - Nov 25, 2016
agree
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EdParks - Nov 25, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus The aspect of THE DOUBTER'S ALMANAC that I most admired was that it got progressively better with each succeeding page.
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BRAKiasaurus - Nov 25, 2016
Yes, I am halfway through "A Doubter's Almanac", and I must say that it is destined for top 5 of my own list. To me, it is vastly better than LaRose (which I enjoyed), but even if others disagree, it seems quite a big oversight. I'm glad to see others included that were overlooked, however Haslett's novel and "What Belongs to You" are also surprising omissions.
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EdParks - Nov 25, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Of course you know, EVERYBODY'S FOOK is the sequel to NOBODY'S FOOK? How is it possible to overlook such an egregious error?
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EdParks - Nov 25, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus The list seems to be missing: DOG RUN MOON, A DOUBTER'S ALMANAC, LATE ONE NIGHT, MISS JANE, PERFUME RIVER, TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD and THE HEAVENLY TABLE. I do, however, concur with BARKSKINS, EVERYBODY'S FOOK, THE NIX and THE SPORT OF KINGS.
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BRAKiasaurus - Nov 25, 2016
http://nytimes.com/2016/11/23/books/review/100-notable-books-of-2016.html?_r=0&referer=https://www.google.com/
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c0dysseus - Nov 22, 2016
@ey814 BookPassage in The Ferry Building in San Francisco has signed first editions FYI, 10+ copies - where I bought mine
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c0dysseus - Nov 21, 2016
@myram319 @ey814

I got one from Greenlight Bookstore's FEC. The Brooklyn to San Francisco shipping stinks, but having a signed first NBA covers the smell.

(http://www.greenlightbookstore.com/firsteditionsclub)
ey814 - Nov 20, 2016
@BrentNichols I subscribe to Firsts Magazine, which is a publication based out of Tucson. There is always an ad from The Poisoned Pen in each issue. I have also bought books from Square books, Elliot Bay, and Politics and Prose (have even been to a couple of author events at P&P when I happened to be in DC when there was someone I wanted to see). I recommend Joseph Fox Bookshop in Philadelphia. They are the bookseller that staffs the Philadelphia Free Library events, and a lot of authors come through those events. I get the email from Joseph Fox Books sent on a weekly basis, and if I see someone coming through there that I will want a signed first edition, I just email them. They've always packaged the book effectively.
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ey814 - Nov 20, 2016
@ChrisEllis77 I was in Oslo a few years ago and picked up a first Norwegian edition of The Orphan Masters Son! I do recognize that having any used bookstores in a relatively small town like Lawrence (70,000 people) is a luxury. It's certainly because it's a college town and, thus, books are valued. One thing I've noticed as I travel internationally (which I do quite a bit) is that hardcover books are hard to find. The large format trade paperbacks seem to be the predominant format. If you go to the larger booksellers in the UK (Waterstones, for example), they'll have more hardcovers than smaller booksellers (and, in my opinion, the UK hardcovers tend to be a better quality than the US hardcover), but in Australia hardcovers are less common. In the Asian countries I've been in, there are mainly softcover editions. I'm sure this is an economics issue and, of course, even in the U.S., trade paperbacks are becoming more common as the first release.

All that said, as I look at how I've built my Pulitzer collection (I have 74 of the 89 winners in the 'true' first edition, all but 5 of those with original dustjackets or slipcases), it has been mainly through bookstores that have online presences (such as Quill and Brush, Royal Books, etc.) or through online auctions... eBay, but increasingly auction houses such as Swann Galleries or Heritage Auctions. The used bookstore 'finds' of older books has been pretty rare... book sellers know what they have these days (because of the internet) and price them accordingly. You have to run the risk of damage during mailing, but the most economic way to fill in one's collection of more recent Pulitzer winners (from the 1980s on) is through auction sites like eBay or online through abebooks.com or similar sites. The further back you get, the less likely you'll see one in a used bookstore anyway. So, thanks goodness for Internet book dealers :-).
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BrentNichols - Nov 20, 2016
@ChrisEllis77 @ey814 I will usually get my ideas from Kirkus Reviews, once I see something I want to read I start searching various books stores to see whats available. I live in Scottsdale AZ so The Poisoned Pen is my go to store although they specialize in mysteries and thrillers they also get a lot of indie firsts and some more popular writers its a great store for signed first editions. Square books in Mississippi, Elliot Bay books in Seattle, Politics and Prose out of DC all ship of course.
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ChrisEllis77 - Nov 20, 2016
@ey814 You both/all are very lucky to have so much on your doorsteps, I know independent bookshops are on the downslide, but they are still there. For me I only have a few opportunities each year to browse the old dusty shelves for forgotten or lost volumes. So I must rely on the internet for most of my buys (I live far out in the countryside in Norway).

As ey814 said forming good relationships with good dealers is essential, I too buy many books from Dan Pope (great guy/seller) and one or two others you mentioned.

I so wish I lived in a place where I could just walk in and browse around, I find myself daydreaming of living in the US or maybe UK and dropping in on the way home and finding 40 year old Pulitzer first editions. So I must wait and spend a great deal on postage and even more on travel just to get through the door.

So next time you feel a little down about there not being as much as there used to be, remember some have it worse.

I don't talk a great deal here but alway read, it's a great help with building my collection, Some very wise and real experts here. Thank you so very much.
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ey814 - Nov 19, 2016
@EdParks Yes, sad but true. Even selling them yourself doesn't get much more. I tried to sell duplicates on ebay for a while, and it wasn't worth the hassle, financially speaking. In general, I'll probably be better of donating the books to a library and taking the "market price" (e.g., what a dealer is charging) as a tax write off. That's another incentive for not really trying to cull books out... you basically just have to donate them.
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EdParks - Nov 19, 2016
@ey814 Sorry to say you still might lose, even at $12.00. Something else that has allowed me to curtail my book buying is the fact that two or three years ago I decided to cull my collection and sell off what I wasn't interested in, and some of my duplicates. Unless you want to go through the hassle of selling the books yourself, they have little value on the open market. A nice book that a dealer wants to sell for $200.00 they may offer you $40.00. But, as we all know, or will soon find out, book collecting has nothing to do with making a profit.

Glad to see that you too and made some nice purchases at Half Price Books.
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ey814 - Nov 19, 2016
@EdParks @BrentNichols Okay, it's on my to read list.
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ey814 - Nov 19, 2016
@EdParks Bill Leone is someone I frequently buy from and is certainly on the list of dealers that I look for. It would be cool to have someone like him to talk with and learn from. I lived in Dallas from 1982 to 1999, and spent tons of time at the HPB stores there (the flagship store for the chain was on Mockingbird Lane in Dallas across from the Dr. Pepper corporate headquarters, and there are probably 40 HPB stores in Dallas and surrounding areas. The new location of the main store is in what used to be a Service Merchandise store, so a huge building.). I agree they've become a bit more savvy, but there are still bargains to be found. Just in the last five or six years, I've found the Powell's Indiespensible signed hardcover first edition of TINKERS for $7.99, the Knopf signed limited edition of Roth's Rabbit is Rich (nice gold dj) for $12.99; a first edition of Michael Sharra's THE KILLER ANGELS, and a first edition of James Gould Cozzens' GUARD OF HONOR, both of the latter for five or six bucks. One has to check frequently, though, and for every time I find an absolute bargain, there are 200 times I found nothing! Like you, I've also found a couple of copies of Lahiri's INTERPRETER OF MALADIES at one of the stores, and I keep finding F/F 1sts of KAVALIER & KLAY, MIDDLESEX, MARCH, and (less and less though) EMPIRE FALLS. I can't resist buying those... I figure if I can get a fine copy of a Pulitzer for $12 or less, I can't lose :-).
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EdParks - Nov 19, 2016
@ey814 @BrentNichols Pardon the intrusion, but I found TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD to be even better than THE SNOW CHILD, which I liked considerably. The novel is in contention to make my top five list of 2016.
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EdParks - Nov 19, 2016
@ey814 The Book Rack is apparently still around, but I always thought they were strictly a paperback store. I completely forgot about Half Price Books. We currently have three in the area. I have found some real finds there. Most recently a pristine first edition of Larry Brown's first book FACING THE MUSIC. The HPB staff is a bit more savvy today than they were several years ago when I managed over a two year period to find five, first edition copes of Jhumpa Lahiri's Pulitzer Prize winning collection INTERPRETER OF MALADIES. The staff never thinking that the true first edition would be a paperback. They still occasionally overlook the Random House's copyright page anomaly allowing me to buy two additional first edition copies of THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY. But HPB's prices are going up. The clearance shelf used to be $1.00, but is now $3.00. The lowest price regular fiction book is $7.98 (the price I paid for FACING THE MUSIC), with others going up to $12.98 or more. I can go months and months without finding anything worth buying at HPB as condition is always an issue. But then again you just never know what you may find on the next trip. It is a bit reminiscent of my visits to Southern California used bookstores. As far as dealers are concerned Bill Leone Bookseller out of Palos Verdes Estates, CA is the gold standard. I met Bill when I lived in Pasadena. He became a great friend and mentor to me. I learned more about books and book collecting from Bill than anyone else. As you, I have had great success with Quill and Brush, Sawtooth Books (George Baker and Bill Leone often team up at Book Fairs), Author, Author, Royal Books, Between the Covers, and Ken Lopez. Not so much so with Dan Pope. I will never, ever deal with him again.
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ey814 - Nov 19, 2016
@EdParks I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know that someone else pays for outside storage for books :-). When we moved to an older home in Lawrence, I lost a lot of basement space for book storage. Because we were renovating the house (usually from the studs up in most rooms), I was able to build a personal library with floor to ceiling, walnut bookshelves built in on three walls (windows prohibit more shelving), and it's an atmosphere that is very soothing for me. But, it can only hold about 1500 books as well. So, I have to rent a climate-controlled storage unit for the overflow. That has altered my buying habits somewhat. When I lived in the Kansas City area, I would go to the three Half Price Books locations on at least a weekly basis. HPB does a great job of rotating their stock, and one could often pick up fine copies of hardcovers for a buck or two, or for $7.99 at the most. I tended to buy books for the clearance price that I knew were collectible and might be a book I could get signed later. Both because we've moved away from those stores and because of storage issues, I have quit buying so many 'just because.' I keep trying to figure out an "exit strategy" (e.g., how I thin out my collection without getting rid of books that I might later want again), but authors like Ron Rash and Roxanne Gay and Marianne Wiggins and Ethan Canin and many, many others who (first and foremost) write well and, in my mind, also have a great novel still in them that might get attention. Then, add in all the debut novels that come out, etc. and I find myself unable to get rid of anything :-). Oh well. I tell my wife that at least I don't collect vintage automobiles or something big!

I've had a little better luck with Amazon on delivering books that are in decent shape, though have experienced what you mention periodically. The same holds true for books bought on ebay or abebooks.com as well, though I've identified some top notch dealers on abebooks who I know will pack the books really well... Ryan Books in New York City, Dan Pope (who is himself a novelist) in Hartford CT, Author Author in Oxford OH (Hi Barbara!), RM Books, Jeff Hirsch in IL, Sawtooth Books, and others... plus the trustworthy rare and antiquarian ABAA sellers like Quill and Brush, Royal Books, Ken Sanders Books, Between the Covers, etc.

What I miss most of all are the used book stores. Internet book options pretty much killed off a lot of brick and mortar stores. It also became an easy reference to judge a book's "value." So, going into a used book store and finding a real bargain because of your 'book scouting' skills and knowledge of literature and collecting editions has become sort of a thing of the past. There are far fewer such stores and I see mostly books that are priced higher than what they should be bacause that was what was listed online.

I was in Indianapolis several years ago and bought a book at The Book Rack. Is that still open?
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EdParks - Nov 19, 2016
@ey814 @AlexKerner and I may have gone on a bit of a rant, but we seem to have come to some sort of common understanding of how two people may view the merits of a novel in completely diametrically opposed way.
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EdParks - Nov 19, 2016
@ey814 Extremely happy that you like MISS JANE. I haven't come to a final determination of my top five for 2016 but I do know that MISS JANE will be somewhere on that list.

As a collector I have had problems with purchasing from Amazon due to the damage cause by shipping or "picking" from the warehouse. I tried it for about six months, but I was sending back every other book. Amazon would replace the book but it wasn't always a copy in any better condition. The same issue applied to first editions, versus succeeding printings. So I gave up. I live in the Indianapolis area of Indiana. There is one Books-A-Million and five Barnes & Nobles. Zero independents. For some reason the BAM copies are always of better condition than the BN copies. I have also noticed that BN lately has been stocking second printing copies on the day of publication. I remember specifically that BARKSKINS and THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD fell into this situation. But BAM always has the first issue. My only problem with BAM is that it is the farthest from my home. Like you I miss Borders we lost three stores when they went out of business. And all three stores were commercially viable, but Borders had other corporate level problems.

Book buying has definitely changed recently. I have noticed a dramatic drop in business at my area BNs. And I believe that price is a contributing factor. I realize that print runs have been decreased by publishers, thus raising the per copy cost of a book. But it seems like books went from $20 a copy to $30 rather quickly. And $30 for a book at BN, which is likely not of pristine condition is something I refuse to pay.

Something else that has changed rather dramatically recently is the remaindered or discount shelf of books at BN. One used to be able to find very well conditioned copies, without remainder marks 18-24 months after the initial publication date. I even had several authors I would only buy off the discount shelf, because they always seemed to remainder at BN. Now the discount books aren't nearly as plentiful and they are of poor condition and all have remainder marks. I can only assume that BN is now purchasing remainders through one specific remainder house.

BN is losing money at an alarming rate. However, publishers cannot allow them to fail as they serve as the only mechanism for displaying their books to the buying public.

I can only shelve about 1500 copies in my home, so I have had to resort to outside storage. I have also altered my book buying habits over the last couple of years. I still purchase copies of my favorite authors on the day of publication. This includes about 50 authors. Other books I try and read library copies first, and if I like the book I will purchase it. This saves money and cuts down on my book over flow.

Without question in the area of book buying, to quote the Nobel Prize winner "times they are a changin".
ey814 - Nov 19, 2016
@BrentNichols Makes sense, I think A Capella books was among the first venues Whitehead spoke at following the release. They don't list any more on their website, so I'm going to have to hunt to find a copy!
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BrentNichols - Nov 19, 2016
@ey814 You got my curiosity up so I took look at the book again. It has no stickers on the front, and the author signed it on the title page so I'm certain that its not a tip-in. I bought from A Cappella books.
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Mstexexec - Nov 19, 2016
@ey814 @Mstexexec @BRAKiasaurus @EdParks @JohnZ I hope A GENTLEMAN FROM MOSCOW suits your fancy. It is a gentle book and the characters are fantastic. Just the right touch of humor. I read his book RULES OF CIVILITY afterward and, although it was good, GENTLEMAN is better. Great ending, too!
ey814 - Nov 19, 2016
@myram319 @ey814 Good to know, thanks!
ey814 - Nov 19, 2016
@Mstexexec @BRAKiasaurus @EdParks @JohnZ I add my congrats on getting the screenplay out... I know deadlines can be a bear. As I think I said before, we all want invitations to the red carpet premier!

Great list. I can't come up with others titles to add to the list... although I do think some of Colson Whitehead's early work (THE INTUITIONIST, JOHN HENRY DAYS, APEX HIDES THE HURT) helps think about issues of race in society in ways that are helpful. Ethan Canin's AMERICA AMERICA was a sort of modern day ALL THE KINGS MEN. I thought it should have gotten more recognition when it was published than it did. I tend to turn to non-fiction to help me think through issues like those that drove this election, though I think fiction has a unique role in that process. Makes me wonder what we'll see from novelists in the coming year or two. I agree that SYMPATHIZER seems all the more relevant now (and like @Mstexexec mentioned, he is a thoughtful poster on Facebook). Towles' A GENTLEMAN FROM MOSCOW was one of the signed books I received from somewhere, and enough people have now mentioned it that I am going to read it.
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ey814 - Nov 19, 2016
@AlexKerner @EdParks I'm not going to be able to add much to this illuminating discussion. @AlexKerner described what I admired about UNDERGROUND RAILROAD better than I was able to do in an earlier post! One of the things I value about this discussion board is that I don't seem to have quite as finely tuned way to judge how much I like a book (and why) when compared to other books. So, a discussion like this helps me think through what I agree with, what I disagree with, and almost always to learn something. A good review also does that for me, so I typically seek out a NY Times or Washington Post review after I finish a book so as to see what it says and how it helps me articulate what I thought about the book. I do agree that Whitehead could have painted a deeper character with Cora. What is the strength of the book, as has been said, in my opinion, was both the fact that many people need to be reminded what American slavery was like, and the fact that he used the tools of fiction to time warp and make statements on more current issues as well.

I finished Yaa Gyasi's HOMEGOING on a trip this past week. This is a very impressive debut and is part of a trilogy looking at American slavery. Both SPORT OF KINGS and HOMEGOING are generational tales, with the latter taking that to the extreme, with each chapter a new generation. I thought SPORT OF KINGS was important, but flawed in some ways. I've mentioned this before, but it was sometimes difficult to tell any difference between the generations during the farm/horse ranch settings. I also thought that the ending let one of the protagonists off too easy. But, it certainly made me think about linkages between today and the slavery era. HOMEGOING does the same thing, to an extent. One learns a lot about the origins of the slave trade in Ghana. The chapter by chapter generation by gen ration format felt, at times, forced. I suspect it will make most of the end of the year list and we may see it in a future award nomination.

Finally, @EdParks, I'm reading MISS JANE and really appreciate how he's handling the main character (Jane). It's a delightful book. It struck me that it's the second book I've read where the two main protagonists are an elderly white man and a young girl with some sort of issue. NEWS OF THE WORLD had the same structure. I think Watson does a better job of developing the young girl character, and maybe that's because she's really the main character, where for Jiles, the newsreader probably was.
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myram319 - Nov 19, 2016
@ey814 ... I don't know if there are any out there that are typical first edition (e.g., not signed tipped-in editions) without the Oprah sticker.

I have a signed (not tipped-in) copy of the typical first edition without the Oprah sticker, so yes there are some of those out there.
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ey814 - Nov 19, 2016
@EdParks I suspect any award process will be influenced by political, cultural, and other factors that are independent of the quality of the work almost inevitably. The uproar after Toni Morrison's BELOVED didn't win the NBA almost certainly would have influenced the Pulitzer jury. That said, now that BELOVED has established itself in the canon of late 20th Century literature (I don't think I'm overstating that), one has to wonder why it was overlooked by the NBA in the first place. BELOVED was beat for the NBA by Larry Heinemann's PACO'S STORY, which I have yet to read, but which by appearances at least, has not maintained much attention since 1987.
ey814 - Nov 19, 2016
@BrentNichols Good to have a signed copy. Read it gently. For collectors out there, I think there may be some interesting variants in the first edition. Of course, it was released early and in large numbers because of the anticipated hype and the Oprah selection. All of the copies I saw on shelves already had an "Oprah pick" sticker on it. By observation, these look like they were put on by machine, not post hoc, because they were all in exactly the same location and looked like they still could be removed (not just printed onto the dustjacket). I haven't tried to remove the sticker because I don't want to ruin a dustjacket (and these dustjackets are the type that the corners get scraped up easily), so I figured there might be a few out there that were printed before the Oprah sticker was added. There is a signed, tipped-in page edition (Whitehead would have signed an extra blank sheet that was then 'tipped in' during the production process) and the copy I have of that version does not have an Oprah sticker on it, which would make sense because those would have been produced separately and earlier. I don't know if there are any out there that are typical first edition (e.g., not signed tipped-in editions) without the Oprah sticker. Also, the Washington Post ran a long excerpt from the novel the week it came out. Finally, I've found two versions of the Advance Reading Copy, one with card stock covers and french flaps, one with just your run of the mill ARC type of cover.

I'm interested in what you think of TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD. Let us know.
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ey814 - Nov 19, 2016
@Marybethking As my friends in the UK would say, that's brilliant! (e.g., the Polar Express analogy!).
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ey814 - Nov 19, 2016
If you read books via Amazon Kindle (I do, so I don't damage the print first edition copies I've bought!), Louise Erdrich's The Round House is the Ebook deal of the day ($2.99)(https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B007HC3UF6/ref=nosim/themill0b2-20). I know many indie booksellers have targeted Amazon as Darth Vader, and I know that publishers have a love/hate relationship with Amazon because they make them sell books to them at such a cut rate price. I buy most of my hardcover new releases from indie bookstores or at book festivals. (I also subscribe to three first edition signed first edition clubs run by indie bookstores). But, many times, books are simply not available in bookstores (Jhumpa Lahiri's new non-fiction essay book THE CLOTHING OF BOOKS is one I suspect won't be found easily). Also, when books that weren't immediate best sellers show up on the award short or longlists, and they are long gone from bookshelves (if they were there in the first place), I can often get a first edition through Amazon. Plus, if you go to the amazon website for specific countries (amazon.co.uk for Britain, for example), you can order first editions of foreign editions. So, while I get that Amazon has impacted the bookselling business, sometimes in ways that have been harmful to the industry (including authors), it seems to me that the losers in the book selling wars have not been the indies (they seem to have hung in there and now are really motoring), but the big box chains... Borders (which I personally miss a lot!) sunk, of course, Hastings (minor chain) just went under, and I don't think Barnes and Nobles is doing that well. Which is too bad. I live in Lawrence, Kansas. We're 45 minutes from Kansas City. There is a great indie bookstore here (The Raven) and a great used book store (The Dusty Bookshelf). But The Raven is relatively small, tries to carry current books in everything from contemporary fiction, literature, mystery, non-fiction, children's, etc., so it often doesn't have a book like Brad Watson's MISS JANE (which I am reading now and love, thanks @EdParks). Kansas City has a wonderful indie, Rainy Day Books, who host author events (for which I'm very grateful), and which does carry more literary first editions. But, the hours are not as good if one has to come in after work, for example. There are a few B&Ns in Kansas City, and although their stock is increasingly becoming less about books and more about other things, they are at least there. If they were to go, it would deplete my options for finding books. All that to say, I rely on Amazon (as I rely on my local indies and indies from which I order books) to be able to get some of the books I collect.
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AlexKerner - Nov 17, 2016
@EdParks @AlexKerner hey The Sport of Kings won the Kirkus Prize, so it's not like it has been ignored.
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AlexKerner - Nov 17, 2016
@EdParks @AlexKerner yeah the long list wasn't the strongest but juries are peculiar things and we are stuck with the idiosyncratic tastes of five people. I admittedly have not read most of those (except the Nix, which I hated sorry to say). Arguably the NBA also ignored Brit Bennet's The Mothers and Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing and Alexander Chee's Queen of the Night.
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EdParks - Nov 17, 2016
@AlexKerner @EdParks Could it be that I am just a classicist?
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AlexKerner - Nov 17, 2016
@EdParks @AlexKerner Cora isn't the most captivating protagonist but that may be intentional, as is the quick tossing out of Caesar, both requirements for a book that wants to focus on the spectacles of each world, more focused on what is being gazed at rather than those engaging in the voyeurism. In terms of railroad, well yes it is a plot device and maybe partially gimmicky (although the genesis of the idea comes from Whitehead's childhood imagination of what the underground railroad was rather than as a way to make his novel more interesting). That said, if the book is this journey into alternative histories where time is mixed and stretched, the magical form of transportation makes sense for me.
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EdParks - Nov 17, 2016
@AlexKerner @EdParks I was disappointed with the National Book Award largely because there have been some very fine novels published this year that, in my opinion, far surpass the NBA short list. Such as: A DOUBTER'S ALMANAC, THE SPORT OF KINGS (Which had as much, or more to say about race than THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD), LATE ONE NIGHT, BARKSKINS, THE HEAVENLY TABLE, MISS JANE, TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD, THE NIX, THE RISEN and PERFUME RIVER. And of these only MISS JANE was on the NBA long list.
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EdParks - Nov 17, 2016
@AlexKerner @EdParks For me, at least, there were also content issues with THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. For a protagonist, I thought that Cora's character was impersonal and thinly developed. And how was Cora, who had spent her entire life as a slave able, after her escape, to converse and dine with all elements of society with aplomb? And why was Caesar eliminated from the novel so quickly and completely? And the real railroad aspect was and remains a problem with me. Other than a gimmick, what purpose could it have served?
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AlexKerner - Nov 17, 2016
@EdParks @AlexKerner i will also say that this wasn't my favourite book of the year. I actually fell in love with Madeleine Thien's Do Not Say We Have Nothing, which I found (believe it or not) more emotionally captivating. My critiques of UR, even as a novel I thought was brilliant, is that the writing at times is too tight, too well crafted, too precise. The prose is certainly captivating and beautiful but maybe lacks some of the rawness and messiness that I appreciate in a novel.
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AlexKerner - Nov 17, 2016
@EdParks @AlexKerner ok that I totally get. Sometimes an authors style just doesn't jibe with our reading sensibilities. I for example just got tired of Ian McEwan...happens sometimes I get.
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EdParks - Nov 17, 2016
@AlexKerner @EdParks Finally someone offers justification of a novel's merits when I don't perceive the same novel as being particularly meritorious. Usually I get "because it was reviewed well". So thanks for your input. I have now read three novels by Whitehead. There must be something in the rhythm of his prose that is off-putting for me, because I haven't liked any of the three and they have all been chores to finish. Not sure why I keep trying. But the same applies to Louise Erdrich. It's a hard pill for me to swallow when I am totally opposite from the prevailing viewpoint of a novel or an author. Maybe this is why I keep reading those writers I don't particularly like, but other readers seem to think are wonderful. As far as books and reading are concerned I remain the perpetual optimist.
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AlexKerner - Nov 17, 2016
@EdParks @AlexKerner so where to start:1. Any novel that increases our understanding of a dark past can help build empathy between the generations that followed and were greatly impacted by the legacy of slavery. UR tells an incredibly emotional and difficult story that shines light not only onto the slave experience but also the multiple experiences of white supremacy (across generation and across borders). This isn't where the novel shines necessarily, but that it may expose a new generation of readers to that experience is noteworthy.

2. Is there something revelatory? Well the slave narrative has been captured an awful lot in fiction and I don't think it was Whitehead's intention to provide a new angle or new area study (like A Known World did). The magic of the novel is found elsewhere, namely how the story is told rather than what is told.

3. Historical Inaccuracies? Yes it's a work of fiction that goes out of its way to meld time periods, import experiences and moments that did not exist during the time described in the book. If you read any of the interviews Whitehead has done or read the analysis of the book, it is explicit that after the first part Whitehead intentionally and with fervour abandons the historical record. He wants to provide insight into the black experience that stretches well beyond the period of slavery, deal with experiences of white supremacy that were outside the walls of the old south. He is creating a hallucinatory nightmarish journey that sheds light onto the "truth" of the experiences of African Americans even if departing from the exact facts of the history. This is what I found most novel and exciting about the text, its writing that melds genre without abandon and produces a feeling of the black experience that goes beyond tracing the exact historical record. So while I agree with you that ATLYCS was conventional and frankly boring, Whitehead has really created something wonderful here that if you delve deeper beyond the literal text and see the allegorical elements that float underneath are really fantastic to ingest.
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EdParks - Nov 17, 2016
@AlexKerner What specific aspects of the novel are praise worthy? Does it contribute to the much needed discussion of racial divide in this country? Is there anything revelatory in the novel concerning the slave experience that has not been written about previously? While the book is a work of fiction it is fraught with historical inaccuracies. All that I see it doing is bringing up a generation of Oprah devotees who believe the underground railroad was an actual railroad. I have no desire to argue with a differing opinion of the novel's merits. I am just trying, as I was with ALL THE LIGHT YOU CANNOT SEE, to understand something that I don't see written on the page and to comprehend the author's intent.
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AlexKerner - Nov 17, 2016
@EdParks @ey814 despite your own reservations about Whitehead's novel, The Underground Railroad has been by far the most praised and well reviewed book of the year. There may be a political statement being made to highlight issues of race and racism in American history, but irregardless Whitehead winning cannot be seen as a surprise.
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EdParks - Nov 17, 2016
@ey814 Was this a political statement by the judges and the National Book Foundation, or merely an opportunistic coincidence?
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BrentNichols - Nov 17, 2016
@ey814 Thanks for posting this, I have a signed copy of The Underground Railroad sitting on my bookshelf but haven't read it yet. I just started Ivey's new book To the Bright Edge of the World and so far I like it a lot.
ey814 - Nov 17, 2016
I see that my phone's autocorrect changed Colson to Cousin! Sorry.
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Marybethking - Nov 16, 2016
The Polar Express of Slavery triumphant.
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Marybethking - Nov 16, 2016
Congrats on the screenplay. What is it about? 'The Sympathizer' was brilliant and the only book on the list that I have read.
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ey814 - Nov 16, 2016
Cousin Whitehead wins NBA for The Underground Railroad.
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Mstexexec - Nov 16, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @EdParks @JohnZ I thoroughly enjoyed The Sympathizer. Very insightful from the Vietnamese perspective. He is very active on his Facebook page as well. Another more recent book that I expect to get a lot of attention is Amor Towles A Gentleman in Moscow, now nominated on Goodreads in the Historical Fiction category. At the end I simply turned back to page one and reread the whole book through again. I haven't done that in years.
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BRAKiasaurus - Nov 16, 2016
@EdParks @JohnZ I've been eying "All the King's Men" on my shelf for awhile now. I read it about 10 years ago, and it is fair to say that it (along with "Rabbit, Run") is one of the reasons I became so interested in reading literature. I still haven't read Nguyen's Pulitzer winner either, so I need to get on that...

Thank you for the suggestions.
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EdParks - Nov 16, 2016
@JohnZ Well said, John. ALL THE KING'S MEN may well be my favorite American novel. I am quite certain that it is the first important book that I ever read, that I also truly enjoyed.
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JohnZ - Nov 16, 2016
Hello, everyone. I haven't posted in a while, and I hope to rectify that. I've been busy finishing a screenplay, which the producer wanted sooner than had been expected. In order to finish a draft, I had to step away from social media for a bit. But after two and a half days of near-constant composition -- with just over 300 pages (including revisions) written -- I got it done. So now I've some time to get back to this forum, which I have eagerly been wanting to do.

How refreshing it is to read posts from people whose opinions and suggestions I admire (how great it is, also, that Ed Parks has returned!), and how consoling it is to learn that, like myself, there are those whose emotions are concomitant with my own during so frightening a period of national strife.

It seems many of us are in mourning, and rightfully so. Like some of you, I too have been left reeling and wondering what I should be reading in response to the current poison that has infected not only our country, but the world entire. Attempting to focus on reading, and debating on just what to read (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc.), has been, as of late, a challenge. However, it is precisely during times such as these that literature is most important to us. All great art reminds us that we are a species capable of empathy. It also speaks of how vital art is, for the best of it explores who we are, where we have been, and perhaps shines a light as to where we are headed. In addition, art informs us and encourages us to think for ourselves, which is certainly important in an age when people are being encouraged not to think and to eschew intelligence over sound bites and tabloid fodder better left in the trash bin.

Ed's quote from Mr. Merwin ("A howl of grief and pain -- that is the beginning of language") offers me some consolation. Without such howls, I believe many writers would not have the fortitude to put pen to paper and endure the challenges posed by composition. As John Steinbeck observed, he didn't want merely to entertain readers, he wanted to rip their nerves raw -- a goal he accomplished many times. And many of our best writers have carried on that tradition. Many of those writers have earned Pulitzers for their astonishing work. Among them, Toni Morrison comes readily to mind.

Given that this is a site devoted mainly to Pulitzer Prize-winners, I suggest to anyone who has yet to read it that Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men would be a most insightful book to read. It's loosely based on Huey Long, another demagogue who achieved political power in this nation's history. Not only is it informative, and perhaps the best novel about politics ever written, it is also a gripping read -- one of my favorite Pulitzer winners.

The important thing, of course, is to read. History has shown us that, in times of strife, art flourishes. Consider the music of the 1960s that came as a result of the Vietnam War. Or the films of the 1970s that explored the social ills and revolutions of its decade. Or the novels that have, time and again, offered us a window into a time and world in which we did not ourselves live, but that have given us an idea of generations past while informing us of the social conscience (or lack thereof) of generations present.

Another great novel to read: George Orwell's 1984. Be warned, though; it's one of the scariest books I've read.

As for nonfiction, Joby Warrick's Black Flags: The Rise of Isis (2016 Pulitzer Prize-winner) is required reading. Its scholarship is impeccable. Through extensive research and numerous interviews, Mr. Warrick wrote a book that is indispensable, edifying, and that reads like a great thriller. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Currently, I am reading Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, which seems fitting. I am finding it to be exemplary.

And for those who have not read this year's Pulitzer winner, Viet Than Nguyen's The Sympathizer, I recommend it as well. Incredible to believe it's a debut novel. It is also (sad to say) quite timely.
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Marybethking - Nov 12, 2016
@EdParks @ey814 @Marybethking I'm going to have to read 'The Color of Lightning.' IMHO 'Enemy Women' was amazing. I'm from Missouri and the Civil War history in that novel was really brought to life. Each chapter started off with a snippet from a real local newspaper of the time. 'News of the World' is good as well. I will be happy if she wins just because of how much I liked 'Enemy Women.'
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Marybethking - Nov 12, 2016
@EdParks @Marybethking I am now going to shamelessly plug his book on here due to this story. I literally have goosebumps. It's very kind of you to share that story as well. I wish your friend every success with her novel!!
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jjose712 - Nov 12, 2016
@ey814 I have a very strange relationship with Salvage the bones. Maybe it was because dog fights are a very hard limit to me, maybe because i didn't connect with Ward's style, i had a very bipolar reaction to the book, i hated some chapters, i loved others, and i end with the sense that it was an interesting book but just not for me.

Curiously time changed that perception, characters and situations come to my mind frecuently (something that doesn't happen with a lot of good books that i enjoyed). So i'm now way more fond of that novel than i was in moment i ended it.

I think awards should discover new authors, but winning it's not always necesary to make an impact like it shows His bloody project (a novel that was published here in Spain this month).

I don't think being known or unknown should matter when it comes to awards. The best novel should win (of course there's a lot of personal taste which per se it's not something objective chosing what one think it's the best novel).

By the way, other thing the rubbed me the wrong way about the article is the author's blatant dislike for short novels. The lenght of a novel is not the meassure of its quality
gwkingjr - Nov 12, 2016
I made a note of Katy Simpson Smith's book "Free Men" at the beginning of the year. And now I've finally read it. What an amazing book. For me it is very remeniscent of the old school Pulitzer winners. Having read many of the other candidates 'for the 2017 prize The Doubters Almanac, The Sport of Kings, Zero K, Fallen Land. I think Free Men is the best of the bucnch right now. While the others were very good I found them flawed. Free Men was a consistent narrative right from the beginning and never went off track.
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EdParks - Nov 12, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks @Marybethking I certainly may have connected Jiles and McMurtry at one point. I do remember stating that McMurtry had adapted a screenplay from her novel THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING. Not sure why I connected you to the character. I suppose seeing your literary posts on LT and the fact that you are an academic. And I certainly didn't mean to imply that you were near 71 years old!
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ey814 - Nov 12, 2016
@Marybethking The similarities between NEWS and LONESOME DOVE and THE SON are readily apparent (at least to me!)). NEWS is obviously less of an epic novel, and driven by a smaller set of characters, and to that end, I think it's an easier read. The plot of NEWS was hatched out of a character who made a brief appearance in Jiles' THE COLOR OF LIGHTENING (and the main character from that book makes a short appearance in NEWS), so I'm going to read COLOR soon.

I saw on a write up from the Texas Book Festival that Paulette Jiles fell, broke her arm, bruised her face, and generally just messed herself up. I feel bad for her that this happened right before the NBA awards ceremony. I hope she feels okay and is able to soak in all that over-the-top atmosphere!
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ey814 - Nov 12, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Not sure if now is the time to read a novel about the injustices of sexual assault on native reservations (and the failures of federal laws to govern certain circumstances associated with that), but... in my mind, Erdrich's ROUND HOUSE is an important novel... stronger than LAROSE, though I liked LAROSE and think it's an important book.
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ey814 - Nov 12, 2016
@EdParks I think it was you that mentioned that I would like Jiles because I liked Larry McMurtry :-). I think @Marybethking did sing the praises of NEWS OF THE WORLD. I liked it a lot... I suspect that being a National Book Award finalist will be the high spot (award-wise) for NEWS, but that's okay, it was good to see it (and Jiles) get some recognition! I'm honored to be considered in any composite with Robert Quinlan! I think this character seems to me to be the most autobiographical that Robert Olen Butler has written, or at least that I recall. Although the war, and Qunlan's actions and responses to his time there, form the context for the story, it's really (as you know) about families and relationships and time's impact on those. I'm guessing that reflects Butler's reflections as he looks back at the increasingly distant time between the present and the VIetnam War. So, to the degree that as someone who is an academic with a psychology background, I related to the inner thoughts of all of the characters--the brothers, particularly. I thought Butler was spot on with the inner life of those characters, which is hard to do.
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EdParks - Nov 12, 2016
@AlexKerner @BRAKiasaurus In my inbox this morning was this quote from W.S.Merwin.

A howl of grief and pain--that is the beginning of language.

Poetry is really to say what cannot be said. And that is why people turn to it in these moments. It will come closer to saying it than anything else will

.
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EdParks - Nov 12, 2016
@ey814 An example of how one small act of kindness made a huge difference.
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EdParks - Nov 12, 2016
@ey814 I cannot take the credit for NEWS OF THE WORLD. I believe that was @Marybethking. I thought it was okay, at best. I preferred the first half of PERFUME RIVER to the latter half. But it is still a magnificent novel. The manner in which he handled transitions in both characters and time was amazing. Now, here is something strange/odd/peculiar. The image in my mind of Robert Quinlan, the main character in PERFUME RIVER, was a composite image of Robert Olen Butler and Michael Wehmeyer a.k.a. @ey814. How weird is that? I still need to read HOMEGOING. I have just, this moment, started reading ANOTHER BROOKLYN by Jacqueline Woodson. And I will probably have it finished by the lunch hour.
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ey814 - Nov 11, 2016
Been on the road, so not much posting but quite a bit of reading. I read NEWS OF THE WORLD and liked it a lot (thanks @EdParks). I'm definitely going to read some of her earlier writings. On one plane trip I read an interview with Jiles in Texas Monthly magazine, and she really sounds like an interesting person as well! I think I've already mentioned that I read (and liked) COMMONWEALTH by Ann Patchett. Read PERFUME RIVER by Robert Olen Butler, and liked it a lot as well. I took a break from current fiction to re-read STONER by John Williams (again, thanks @EdParks for reminding me I needed to do that!). I'm about a third of the way through HOMEGOING, and am impressed so far. I'm also reading two non-fiction books, Jesmyn Ward's edited book THE FIRE THIS TIME and THE SHORT AND TRAGIC LIFE OF ROBERT PEACE. I have an international flight in a few weeks, so hoping to finish HOMEGOING and read MISS JANE.
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ey814 - Nov 11, 2016
@jjose712 @AlexKerner @jfieds2 @EdParks @Marybethking @proseimprint Sorry to be late in responding, I've been traveling and not able to keep up. I share many of the sentiments expressed about this article. I posted it because I thought it provided some interesting info and I figured it would generate some conversation! I was a bit turned off by the 'attitude' of the piece... and think that books like Salvage the Bone, while from major presses, were at least by unheard of authors. I do think that the pay to play nature of the NBA might be rethought so as to give small presses more equal footing.
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ey814 - Nov 11, 2016
@EdParks @Marybethking I've read PERFUME RIVER and thought it was his best book in a number of years. I wonder if he might actually get some love from the award nominations for this one. I've 'met' Robert Olen Butler several times at book readings. He's a heck of a nice guy and @EdParks your story both confirms my personal experiences with him (though my interactions are not nearly as personal as what Bren experienced!). He interacts with his audience, engages in meaningful conversations with readers, and all in all is one of my favorite writers because of that (and because of.his writing, of course). I know he's 2/3 of the way through another book in his mystery series. Thanks for sharing this story.
trudied - Nov 10, 2016
About LaRose I read it and it is a wonderful novel but Round House was much better ... the ending of Round House took me to my knees (figuratively) ... The solution to between Landreaux, and Romeo seemed somewhat contrived or forced. Her people remain created deep in tribal custom that I will probably never understand but find magical.
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AlexKerner - Nov 10, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus i haven't been able to read since the election results. I'd like to believe that dark times and suffering produce great literature but wish no one had to go through such in order to get good writing
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BRAKiasaurus - Nov 10, 2016
It's hard to know what I am going to need from literature in the next four years, but I'm fairly despondent at the moment. Yesterday, I needed poetry. Today, I began a book of history. It is impossible to focus at the moment on fiction. I assume that will change, however when the present reality is so oppressive and the future reality so unknown, escapism feels like a luxury.

On the plus side, I finished LaRose on Monday. It was a fine book, my first Erdrich novel, and I enjoyed the hint of magical realism, however I don't think the end followed through on the promise of its beginning. It probably doesn't deserve any awards, however it made me want to read her other novels. :)
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EdParks - Nov 10, 2016
@Marybethking @EdParks I am at the halfway point and I will state unequivocally that PERFUME RIVER will definitely make my top five books of 2016. The technical craftsmanship and facility of language are both exquisite. I too, have met Robert Olen Butler through a friend of mine. Marybeth, the friend of which I speak is a writer who has written three novels. The first two did not get published, but after twenty-seven years she is getting her third novel published by the late Pat Conroy's imprint at the University of South Carolina (Story River Books). Her name is Bren McClain and her book which is titled ONE GOOD MAMA BONE will be published in February 2017. It is a first-rate, terrific debut novel, but more about that at another time. Early in Bren's journey to become a published writer she attended her first writer's workshop. There was a set up much like what is found at the Iowa Writer's Workshop where participants sit around a table and read their work and then it is critiqued by the others. After Bren read her story it was lambasted and totally eviscerated by the entire group. She was devastated and could barely hold back the tears. Once outside the room she totally collapsed and was crying inconsolably. A man approached her and asked if there was anything that he could do to help her. Eventually, Bren regained her composure and managed to explained to the gentleman what had just transpired in the classroom. The man explained to Bren that he was a writer and professor of creative writing and asked Bren if she might happen to have another copy of her story that he might read that evening and then he would meet her for breakfast the next morning and offer his comments and suggestions. The writer read the story, met Bren for breakfast and offered his constructive comments. That writer was Robert Olen Butler.
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Marybethking - Nov 10, 2016
I will also say that Paulette Jiles's 'Enemy Women' was one of the best pieces of historical fiction that I have ever read. I am currently reading 'News of the World' which is drawing comparisons to 'Lonesome Dove' and 'The Son.'
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Marybethking - Nov 10, 2016
This is fascinating. It makes me very thankful to enjoy it all from the sidelines as the water 'boy' if you will. Close enough to get the action, but no need for my head to roll when the game is on the line or a disgruntled judge spills the beans on the entire process. :)
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Marybethking - Nov 10, 2016
@EdParks I was actually able to meet Robert Olen Butler at a free event held in my hometown. He read from some of 'Perfume River,' and it was almost like watching a piece of folklore unfold; very lyrical in his delivery. I had to return it to the library, but can't wait to pick it up again.
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EdParks - Nov 8, 2016
Has anyone read PERFUME RIVER by Robert Olen Butler? I am reading it now and it occurred to me, as a consequence of the discussion prompted by the Daily Beast article by Tom LeClair, that older writers don't appear to receive just consideration during the awards season. Larry McMurty has stated that novel writing is the work of middle-aged writers, not old men and not, usually the province of the very young. Yet, I see that writers, particularly those well-known, such as Robert Olen Butler, Annie Proulx, Paul Auster, Russell Banks, John Irving, Charles Baxter, T.C. Boyle and Richard Russo, the youngest of which is sixty-seven, are still producing very good novels that seldom are in the conversation during award season. Richard Ford seems to be an exception to the rule. It is my contention that any of the above eight authors cited can still "out write" any of the current crop of award season darlings. Is it because many of them have already been awarded with either the Pulitzer or National Book Award? Is it because they write about subjects that aren't currently relevant? Or, are they writing the same novel over and over? Anyone have an opinion?
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jjose712 - Nov 7, 2016
@ey814 I find the article snobbish and he seems to only rely on his own taste. Not that he doesn't have some good points, but nothing he says was unknonw. Big fights on the Booker jury are well known, and some decisions were questioned all over the years (like how Alan Hollinhurst's the folding star or Ian McEwan's On Chesil beach ended losing the prize).

He mentioned The Sellout, i didn't read the novel yet (it will be published here next year) but readers opinions are as polarizing on the Sellout as they were on the other big novels of the year (Did you ever have a family, A little life or Fates and furies).

Being non commercial doesn't mean being better. I know my opinion will not being popular but in my opinion Tinkers is as uneven as The goldfinch, with brilliant moments and moments of pure boredom. And i'm not sure The Goldfinch or All the llight we cannot see would be so questioned if they weren't such bestsellers.

And frankly i didn't read a Pulitzer or a NBA that were as bad as Life of Pi, and that novel won the Booker, so no matter how prestigious is the award they are bound to fail from time to time
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AlexKerner - Nov 7, 2016
She also ran Guernica magazine for three years. There are so many factual errors in this piece.
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AlexKerner - Nov 7, 2016
@ey814 I also had written and posted a defence of Lisa Lucas (head of NBA) and managed to erase it. Anyways, I think she gets unfairly disparaged by the suggestion that she lacked the chops of running the awards since she came from a film festival. Anyone who bothers to listen to her discuss books would recognize that she has more than enough gravitas to head the awards.
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trudied - Nov 7, 2016
I am very new at this ... but hopefully got the right contributor.. Thank you EdParks for your post. I read Miss Jane and thought I do not think that I have ever seen Incontinence as a main Fiction subject. That is why I wondered about Throwback Special ... the subject the Theisman / Taylor play that ended a career .. was very unusual. One made the Short List one did not... what moves a work into that higher lever? National Book award ... I only have Association of Small Bombs to finish and News Of the World to complete.
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Pat52 - Nov 6, 2016
@EdParks @ey814 judges have different taste and when I comes to it, obviously the judge will choose the work for his/her reason. in some cases it may be influenced by the judges association with novelist, publisher or agent. Since Late One Night has been brought up in this forum more than a few times, I purchased it. to me it was as if it was written by an amateur. i should have been leery of a hardback novel that uses the first 13 pages detailing praise for the author.
Pat52 - Nov 6, 2016
@AlexKerner @ey814 very well put. couldn't agree more.
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AlexKerner - Nov 6, 2016
@ey814 the article is a bit of a mess structurally but other than that sure, there are problems with awards and I think the suggestions that publishers have limited amounts of submissions to be a good one (I believe the Booker leaves it to one or two per publisher).

Additionally, juries are problematic because of their size and because of all the interpersonal connections that a social network of publishing have. The "slating" of the immense amounts of eligible books is also problem. Although I don't think every prize does this or even if it is common practice every year (I have heard both Booker and Giller judges [in Canada] say that they read every one of the eligible books). And of course, the winners will have a wide variety of tastes and the book they choose is reflective of that rather than which is THE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR.

That is why we have so many literary prizes I guess because then we get a wide variety of tastes and likes reflected in numerous short lists and winners. God look at us on this board...some of us loved The Nix, I really didn't. Some of us thought the Underground Railroad was a great accomplishment, others did not. Some of us loved A Little Life, others despised it. If we each had a literary award to hand out, we would obviously be sharing the glory around.

I think that is why I love the whole Tournament of Books, which to a certain degree mocks the idea of literary awards and having to decide which book is "better."

All that said, with all the problems, do we really think the choices (as a whole and over a long period) that the NBA, NBCC, Booker or Pulitzer have deteriorated. I certainly wasn't happy with last year's NBA winner, but then the NBCC, Booker, and Pulitzer made fantastic choices. We can obviously go down the list of winners and point to great injustices or disagreeable winners but I think this article really overstates the point that great works will be neglected because of a desire for commercial appeal.
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jfieds2 - Nov 6, 2016
@ey814 This piece is fascinating. It also confirms many, many points that I have hypothesized for years. The most important one: juries assign a "slate" of books to each member. This is vitally important in that we all know that taste in literature is very personal and highly subjective, not to mention easily influenced by conflicting interests (i.e. friends-of-friends, agents in common, etc.) When I hypothesized this arrangement -- where each jury member read a "slate" of eligible entries -- I always felt that it was possible for a book that could possibly be a consensus pick among the other jury members could simply be discounted by the member who had it on his/her "slate" to read. That is a very easy explanation why, in some years, a book that we (as a group) and critics (at large) think is brilliant does not make it to being a finalist: the juror assigned to read it, simply didn't it like it himself/herself. Unless another juror, who read said book, in addition to his/her own slate says "Book X that Juror Y did not advance is better than any of the books I've read," then Book X won't stand a chance.
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EdParks - Nov 6, 2016
@ey814 WOW! This piece is swarming with salient points. And they should apply equally to the Pulitzer Prize whose prestige, in my opinion, has fallen further than that of the National Book Award. I like the idea, and have suggested it previously, of one nominated book per publisher. This would enable the publishers to selectively weed out the incredible number of books to be considered. The publisher should be able to readily determine their "best novel" of the year. Small presses will never get their due. TINKERS was an aberration. This year, the small independent Dzanc Books published LATE ONE NIGHT by Pulitzer-finalist Lee Martin. The novel received little promotion and was difficult to find in a book store, yet it is truly a fine and deserving novel that few people will ever read. I've always felt that large page count books were not treated equally or fairly. As were books published early in the calendar year. The politics and personal biases of the judges will always be problematic for both the NBA and the PP. I truly believe that literary fiction is flourishing in the United States, but it is certainly not being recognized by either the NBA or the PP.

As far as this year's NBA finalists are concerned I can only speak of the two that I have read, THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and NEWS OF THE WORLD. Neither of which will make my top ten list of 2016. They had my favorite book of the year, MISS JANE, on the long list but it failed to make the cut.
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proseimprint - Nov 6, 2016
@EdParks Wonderful articles, it will be a while before we see another American author like Harrison.
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proseimprint - Nov 6, 2016
@ey814 Interesting article, thought personally I have always felt that the Pulitzer and Man Booker where the standard.
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ey814 - Nov 6, 2016
Opinion piece about the state of the National Book Awards from a former fiction jury member.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/11/06/the-national-book-award-has-gone-to-hell.html
trudied - Nov 5, 2016
Throwback Special? Can anyone help me to understand why this was moved to the short list? I think I am missing something here.
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EdParks - Nov 5, 2016
Part 2 of the Jim Harrison interview.

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/no-maps-available-final-scenes-jim-harrison-part-ii/
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EdParks - Nov 4, 2016
For those who may be interested, this is reportedly the last interview with the immortal Jim Harrison. Part 2 follows tomorrow.

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/no-maps-available-final-scenes-jim-harrison-part#!
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EdParks - Nov 4, 2016
@proseimprint I'm okay with THE SPORT OF KINGS winning, although I had a few issues with the novel. But I am more perplexed that Annie Proulx's BARKSKINS, a finalist for the award, hasn't received more admiration from the general reading public. In my opinion it is her best novel by a significant margin. It is also interesting to note that only minuscule promotion, at best, was done by either author for their books.
Likes: 2
proseimprint - Nov 3, 2016
Kirkus Prize Winners http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/11/03/500540635/jason-reynolds-c-e-morgan-and-susan-faludi-win-2016-kirkus-prize
Likes: 1
BRAKiasaurus - Nov 3, 2016
Glad I'm interested in this book as it is the next Indiespensible!
Likes: 3
jjose712 - Nov 1, 2016
Publishers weekly top 10 books of the year:

http://best-books.publishersweekly.com/pw/best-books/2016/top-10

with some of this year's usual suspects (Barkskins, What belongs to you, The underground railroad)
Likes: 3
BRAKiasaurus - Oct 27, 2016
For those who love Peter Orner as I do, he has a new book of non-fiction out:

http://books.catapult.co/products/am-i-alone-here
Likes: 1
BRAKiasaurus - Oct 27, 2016
@BrentNichols Makes me want to give Chabon's newest a shot.

I was really let down by "Telegraph Avenue", which seemed just...confused in tone. It was like he started with a simple tale of a record store in Berkeley but couldn't help himself and added blimps and local politics, none of it really ringing true to the neighborhood in which it was set (and of which I am a part). In addition to this, the novel dragged, and it just became a chore to read.

I have enjoyed his novels in the past (Wonder Boys, Kavalier & Clay, etc.), and this one is starting to sound promising. I also like the premise a great deal!
Likes: 1
BrentNichols - Oct 26, 2016
Looking forward to Zadie's new book.
Likes: 3
ey814 - Oct 26, 2016
Chabon, Smith, and Whitehead:

https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/ala-unveils-2017-andrew-carnegie-medals-shortlist/
Likes: 4
ey814 - Oct 26, 2016
Philip Roth's library:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/books/philip-roth-newark-public-library.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=1
jjose712 - Oct 26, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @EdParks I can't even judge her work, i only read one of her young adult novels (and i didn't like it at all).

Coates is an author that attracts and repels me at the same time, some day i have to give her a real oportunity
Likes: 5
myram319 - Oct 25, 2016
Man Booker Prize Winner: The Sellout

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-37770363
jfieds2 - Oct 22, 2016
@ey814 Totally agree on the characters, but it was a very good and multi-layered book. Patchett is certainly a deserving winner, based on previous novels, and while we've always argued that the Pulitzer should really only be for the quality of the book at hand, having previous quality books can only help a writer. (Of course, we all know the debut or second books that have won...) I can see this one being in the hunt

I am way behind my normal pace this year. I still haven't finished UNDERGROUND RAILROAD; or started LAROSE, BARKSKINS and others. Against my better judgement I started HERE I AM last night. I don't think JSF is really in the mix, but I have many personal reasons for wanting to read it now.
EdParks - Oct 22, 2016
@jfieds2 @ey814 @EdParks

This was pretty much the last communication from Dzanc Books on THE LOST COUNTRY.

http://www.dzancbooks.org/blog/2014/7/31/dzanc-books-to-publish-william-gays-long-await-novel
BRAKiasaurus - Oct 21, 2016
@EdParks @BRAKiasaurus I confess that the only Oates novel I read (over a decade ago) did not impress me...at all. "Black Water", I think it was called? And her use of repetition in this slender novel just wasn't very interesting.

However, I have read a number of her short stories through the years, and they are often wonderful.
jfieds2 - Oct 21, 2016
@ey814 I sort of think giving it to Dylan was a combination of 1) a self-fulfilling prophesy and 2) a feeling that they had to give a prize to an American after so long of a drought.

On point 1 I would like to know on what basis Bob Dylan's name started to be floated as a possible laureate, anyway. A songwriter had never won before, and yet Dylan's name started appearing as a possibility a number of years ago. Perhaps the person who nominated him started talking about it and it gained traction. I am certainly a bit disappointed that an American writer of literature or "literary poetry" was not honored. Songwriters are poets of sorts, but as many others have written, you cannot separate song lyrics from the music. They are not meant to exist in isolation.

I actually strongly disagree that Roth or Oates would have been good choices. Both are excellent writers but Roth is so inward looking -- many of his best known novels feature a doppelganger of himself -- and I happen to think that Oates prolific-ness can be held against her. I have admittedly read *very* little of her work, but I understand that some of it is brilliant and some of it is dreadful. Given that the prize is for lifetime achievement, I would think that winner should have significantly more brilliant work.

A few years ago, as I thought about American candidates, I kept coming back to poets. I would have loved the committee to honor the poet Philip Levine or Campbell McGrath in their lifetimes. Yusef Komunyakaa would have been a great pick -- the first black laureate since Morrison.

I would be shocked if Roth and Oates were not both nominated, and considered, and since they went with Dylan, it means that neither will win in the future. Giving the prize to Dylan was the way to deal with the "no American since Toni Morrison" problem.

I also think it will be many years before we see another American win, and so we have to look for writers under 60. Junot Diaz is not going to win. Ditto Chabon or Euginides or Russell or Franzen or Kushner or Chang-Rae Lee or Adam Johnson.

It could be a very, very long time before we see another win.
jfieds2 - Oct 21, 2016
@ey814 @EdParksAs someone who works in publishing, I'd bank on it being issues with the estate. Ten years is a long time, but I can't imagine another reason. Marketability certainly is not the reason. Dzanc certainly would have had contractual obligations to living writers to publish their works during a certain period of time after delivery, and as a small publisher could have been at capacity, but that could only explain a small delay. They should have been able to clear space in their capacity by now.
EdParks - Oct 21, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Nice anecdote by Joyce Carol Oates. I had previously viewed the video, but I did so again today. Over the past few months I seem to be continually running across the prolific Miss Oates. And while I own several of her books, I am embarrassed to say that I have never read one.
proseimprint - Oct 21, 2016
@EdParks @proseimprint @ey814 I believe she is fond of actors.
Likes: 2
BRAKiasaurus - Oct 20, 2016
http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/postscript-thom-jones?intcid=mod-latest
BRAKiasaurus - Oct 20, 2016
@tklein27 It would be great if we had at least a grace period to edit our comments...I, for one, often fall victim to an auto-correct or a slightly confusing--but easily clarified--sentence structure. I don't know about others, but I'd love the ability to tweak that stuff. :)
Likes: 3
EdParks - Oct 20, 2016
Unfortunately we have lost another one of our better fiction writers. Thom Jones had a difficult life, but managed to publish three truly first-rate story collections.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/19/books/thom-jones-dead.html?_r=0
Likes: 1
EdParks - Oct 20, 2016
@proseimprint @ey814 @EdParks Could we possibly see Sacheen Littlefeather in Stockholm to accept the Nobel Prize for Bob Dylan?
EdParks - Oct 20, 2016
@proseimprint @ey814 @EdParks The Nobel Prize committee has given up trying to contact Bob Dylan eight days after he became the first musician to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He has also, as yet, refused to acknowledge the award. I wonder if Stockholm has already begun to question their selection?
Likes: 1
proseimprint - Oct 19, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks Came across this interesting article about pertaining to Dylan and the Nobel Prize. http://lithub.com/bob-dylan-isnt-even-americas-greatest-literary-songwriter/
Likes: 2
BrentNichols - Oct 19, 2016
Just finished the Nix by Nathan Hill, felt as if it was one of the best books I've read all year.

This is my list through the end of the year:

A Gentle in Moscow by Amor Towles

News of the World by Paulette Jiles

TrueVine by Beth Macy

And if I can get it in Zadie Smiths new book.
tklein27 - Oct 19, 2016
Yes, that is a huge problem. The admin tools make it difficult to find Pending comments. I talk about that here:

http://www.pprize.com/Discussions.php/Comment-System
TonyTx - Oct 19, 2016
@tklein27 not sure if it has to do with the site itself, but my comments are in "pending" status for days and days before they actually post...
Likes: 1
tklein27 - Oct 19, 2016
All,

The Livefyre comments system we have been using here at PPrize is coming to an end. LiveFyre was recently purchased by Adobe this year, and they decided to abandon Livefyre on February 1, 2017. This is NOT the end of our PPrize prediction comments. It just means that I have to find an alternative comment system. So I have begun a search for a new comment system with a target implementation date of January 1, 2017.

Comment systems are complicated. They have to be easy to use and to moderate, and must block spammers without putting up too many roadblocks for real people trying to post real honest comments. And although replacing LiveFyre will be difficult, I like to think of it as an opportunity to bring in something better. So as I begin searching for a replacement, I would like to hear your comments about what you liked or did not like about the LiveFyre comments system, and what you would like to see in the next comment system.

But let's not clog up this page with tech talk. I started a new page here:

http://www.pprize.com/Discussions.php/Comment-System
Likes: 2
ey814 - Oct 15, 2016
@EdParks I thought so as well :-). She did have another tweet that was very congratulatory and flattering.
Likes: 1
EdParks - Oct 15, 2016
@ey814 What a wildly sardonic, yet apropos, tweet!
Likes: 1
EdParks - Oct 15, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks The problem with Ron Rash, if you can call it a problem, is that he is a multifaceted writer. I think he would prefer to be a poet. Although I believe his true strength is as a short story writer. But everybody wants him to be a novelist.
Likes: 1
EdParks - Oct 15, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks I was once told that the majority of THE LOST COUNTRY had not been typed and was still in William Gay's handwriting, which is not that easy to read. Hopefully, that is the only issue and Dzanc Books just wants to insure that they properly publish the author's actual words and convey his true intent. But goodness, if that is the only reason it sure is taking a long time. I have wondered if possibly some of the manuscript is missing, as Gay had once sent a portion of it to MacAdam Cage Publishing and then took it back after he wasn't paid, and now Dzanc Books has it. That is a lot of physical movement, but then again I am just speculating. But all of this transpired prior to the electronic age of communication, and even though electronic communication was emerging William wasn't much of a fan. Quite sure there are no estate issues. The foreign rights were sold as soon as Dzanc Books acquired world rights to TLC over two years ago. Bottom line, I don't know and can't find out. And there is always the possibility that LITTLE SISTER DEATH which Dzanc Books did publish did not do well financially. In my opinion it is, by a large measure, the weakest book that was ever published under William Gay's name.
BrentNichols - Oct 15, 2016
Hi Mike, like you I'm about 1/3 through and so far I like it a lot. The pace is good and I like the character development as well. When I first started reading it, i thought that at some point the pace would slow down or get sluggish but so far that hasn't happened.
Likes: 1
ey814 - Oct 15, 2016
@EdParks I always pick up copies of ARCs/1st Editions by Rash, he seems to me to be a writer that could still have that book that breaks him out of the pack.
Likes: 1
ey814 - Oct 15, 2016
@BrentNichols I'm 1/3 of my way through it, and liking it a lot (as did others on the Pprize.com discussion board). I'll be interested in your thoughts about it.
Likes: 2
ey814 - Oct 15, 2016
@EdParks I remember the reporting about THE LOST COUNTRY being published posthumously, and also recall your praise for Gay. I didn't remember that it was not actually published. Any thought as to why Dzanc Books may be sitting on these novels? Problems with the estate?
Likes: 4
ey814 - Oct 15, 2016
Here's one tweet sent by Joyce Carol Oates about Dylan's Nobel prize:

"Good about Nobel prize for Bob Dylan but also good that Yeats, Faulkner, Beckett did not have to compete with Berlin, Porter, Rodgers & Hart"
Likes: 3
EdParks - Oct 15, 2016
@proseimprint @EdParks @ey814 Attack, even in parenthesis, admittedly was a poor choice of words.
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proseimprint - Oct 14, 2016
@EdParks @ey814 I am not from the Bod Dylan generation, thought my parents where, I have a vast collection of vinyl from the 60's. His winning the Nobel Prize is not an attack on books, but a victory for literature in all forms especially poetry that has been forgotten for. years. http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/sixties/essays/protest-music-1960s
Scott S - Oct 14, 2016
I was hoping for W. S. Merwin.
Likes: 1
EdParks - Oct 14, 2016
@ey814 Michael, since my older posts were deleted, I can't confirm if you have read William Gay. He was truly a wonderful and underappreciated writer. Dzanc Books made a big splash in 2014 about publishing his "lost" novel THE LOST COUNTRY. The novel still hasn't been published and all of us William Gay fans cannot get an answer as to why. I have literally been waiting for this novel to be published since it was completed well over ten years ago. And, there was apparently another manuscript found after his death that he was calling THE WRECK OF THE TENNESSEE GRAVY TRAIN and its status is likewise unknown, but also under the control of Dzanc Books.
Likes: 2
DavidPetersen - Oct 14, 2016
Beautifully put, John.
Likes: 3
JohnZ - Oct 14, 2016
How wonderful that Mr. Dylan has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. No doubt this will draw ire from some. Would Philip Roth or Joyce Carol Oates have been wonderful choices? Sure. But it doesn't denigrate either their work or Mr. Dylan's that it is he whom the committee has chosen to honor. Bluntly put, Mr. Dylan is one of the great poets this country has produced. The difference -- and point of contention for some, I think -- is that he has chosen to put his poetry to music, thus marrying two mediums whose goals, when you consider it, are the same: to entertain, to move, to inform, and to inspire. What's more, his work accomplishes what all great art does: It reminds us that we as a species are capable of feeling and extending empathy to our fellow human beings. In 2008, he was awarded a Special Citation from the Pulitzer Prizes "For his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power." The bottom line is, whether it be found on a page or vibrating through sounds in the air, the language of storytelling, when done well, has the ability to reach our minds and hearts in myriad ways. The best art is, I have always believed, connected. What else is a motion picture than a marriage of all the artistic mediums? What else is art but a way to connect us to who we are, who we've been, and who we might become? It's about possibility, remembrance, compassion, and the ways in which we of the human condition are all inextricably linked. Mr. Roth has done that. Ditto Ms. Oates. And ditto Mr. Dylan.
Likes: 1
ey814 - Oct 13, 2016
@EdParks great essay.
Likes: 2
EdParks - Oct 13, 2016
I got to thinking more about Bob Dylan receiving the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature and I remembered an essay that William Gay had written about the legendary songwriter. The essay has stayed in my mind and was published his book of collected prose titled TIME DONE BEEN WON'T BE NO MORE. I suppose that in the event of Dylan's death I would have re-read the essay, but decided in this instance that the Nobel Prize should trump (poor word choice) Death. I was surprised, as I had forgotten, that Gay talks as much about literature and writers (Faulkner, Wolfe, Welty, Melville, McCullers, O'Connor, Joyce, Agee, Ginsberg and Kerouac) in the essay as he does about Bob Dylan. I feel safe, in assuming, that William Gay would be thrilled with the selection of the 2016 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Perhaps this is what William Gay has been working on since his death in 2012, from whatever location that may be.

CAUTION: THE ESSAY IS RATHER LONG SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO READ IT.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2006/07/bob-dylan-the-man-in-the-attic-a-memoir.html
Likes: 4
EdParks - Oct 13, 2016
@ey814 Being of my generation, I have great respect and admiration for Bob Dylan as a songwriter. That said, I don't believe he should have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. It just seems like another, even if unintentional, "attack" on books and literature by the modern era. But look on the bright side Haruki Murakami or Philip Roth may win a Grammy next year.
Likes: 5
ey814 - Oct 13, 2016
Actually, although I said I wasn't sure what to think, what I really feel is disappointed. Shoulda been Roth or Oates if an American. I say that without meaning to diss Bob Dylan.
Likes: 3
ey814 - Oct 13, 2016
Well, Dylan wins the Nobel Prize for Literature. Not sure what I think of that. From the Americans who were in the odds list, I would have selected Roth or Oates over Dylan. Seems a pretty populist choice from an organization that seems to have garnered a reputation of making non-populist choices.
Likes: 1
BrentNichols - Oct 12, 2016
Just started reading The Nix, after seeing this review:

http://www.npr.org/2016/08/31/490101821/the-nix-is-a-vicious-sprawling-satire-with-a-very-human-heart
SurLaMer SurLaMerOct 11, 2016
So happy to see Christodora on here. Incredible novel. My favorite of the year so far.
zacharybloomzooey - Oct 8, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks Non-fiction writers are eligible. One of the very first winners was a historian honored for his extensive book on the history of Greece. Winston Churchill won the award and last year's recipient Svetlana Alexievich is a non-fiction writer.
TonyTx - Oct 6, 2016
7@EdParks @AlexKerner agree..... along with Railroad, small bombs & Brooklyn, I'd have liked to see imagine me gone and miss jane
Likes: 2
EdParks - Oct 6, 2016
Ron Rash has rebounded with THE RISEN, in my opinion, his best novel since SERENA. Within the novel is a wonderful character study of the younger of two brothers. Eugene, is a broken down alcoholic and failed writer who has lost his family as a result of his own actions. Also of note is a harrowing portrait of Eugene's controlling grandfather, Dr. William Gaylord Matney, a man so diabolically evil he makes Pete Dexter's Paris Trout seem timid and weak. The novel is set in Western North Carolina and includes more that the obligatory references to the author Thomas Wolfe. Also, quite visible in the narrative are references to two other heroes of Rash, Rembrandt and Dostoevsky. Unfortunately, Ron Rash is not on that list of authors who are automatically placed at the head of the line when award season comes around, although he should be.
Likes: 2
jjose712 - Oct 6, 2016
@AlexKerner It's not an exciting list, flavorwire described as intensily topical.

Whitehead is omnipresent right now. I don't know if it is because the novel is really that fantastic or the kind of thing that happens in all kind of awards when one of the contenders seems unstoppable and years later you wonder wh

On other news, i think this is the first year so many big novels are published here in Spain so soon, My name is Lucy Barton and The girls were published (and both are getting very good sales here) and Barkskins and Here i am are going to be published soon. I really liked the girls, all the hype will probably won't help in award season, but i think is a very good debut and i hope Cline will get a really great career

It's quite rare of pulitzer contenders being publised so soon. In fact of the last award season big novels i think only Did you ever have a family, Fates and furies and A little life are publised here (A little life is quite an experience, if positive or negative i'm not sure yet)
Likes: 1
BRAKiasaurus - Oct 6, 2016
@AlexKerner @BRAKiasaurus @EdParks Yeah, agree
Likes: 3
AlexKerner - Oct 6, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @EdParks @AlexKerner it was a strange long list. I am not surprised that Woodson, Whitehead and Mahajan made it though. I would assume that Whitehead is the prohibitive favourite at this point
Likes: 1
BRAKiasaurus - Oct 6, 2016
@EdParks @AlexKerner Yeah, I'm a little surprised by this list...
Likes: 1
EdParks - Oct 6, 2016
@AlexKerner Disappointed that MISS JANE didn't make the short list.
Likes: 1
ey814 - Oct 6, 2016
https://newrepublic.com/article/137496/will-win-2016-nobel-prize-literature
Likes: 1
AlexKerner - Oct 6, 2016
http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-2016-national-book-awards-finalists

wow the finalists just creeeped up on us
EdParks - Oct 6, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks I enjoyed Safran Foer's first two novels and his book discussing the moral implications of what it means to eat animals in an industrial world. I even own a copy of TREE OF CODES, which has never been attempted or, for that matter, taken out of the shrinkwrap. I am getting a similar sense that I occasionally got while reading Philip Roth. And that is due to my lack of knowledge and understanding of Jewish culture and history that I am missing out on too much of what the author wants to convey. One reviewer indicated that you had to get beyond page 50 before the plot really starts to grab you. I have been reading for three days and haven't, as yet, gotten to page 50.
Likes: 1
EdParks - Oct 6, 2016
@Mstexexec I rarely execute such a move myself, but it was for the lovely and talented Ann Patchett's novel COMMONWEALTH.
Likes: 3
ey814 - Oct 5, 2016
Just finished COMMONWEALTH by Ann Patchett and liked it a lot. I got a little confused with all of the family members at times, but that's just a minor quibble. Not sure where it's going to shake out in the "best books I've read this year" list, but it will be up there. Started THE NIX.
Likes: 1
ey814 - Oct 5, 2016
@EdParks I've decided I'm not going to try to read HERE I AM based upon reviews from others on this list and the fact that it's so long.
Likes: 2
Mstexexec - Oct 5, 2016
I trust you will not be disappointed. I can never lay down one book for another even if they are terrible! It's a charming book, hopefully not too soft for some readers. Every bit as good as Goldfinch and Book Thief and Night Circus.
Likes: 2
EdParks - Oct 5, 2016
@Mstexexec I, truthfully, dropped this book to read another. I now have every intention of returning to it based on your post and the extraordinary reviews across the Internet. And it could be very soon as I am struggling mightily with HERE I AM by Jonathan Safran Foer.
Likes: 1
BRAKiasaurus - Oct 5, 2016
@proseimprint Thanks for posting this! I was unaware that the 5 under 35 had been chosen. Some interesting and also very deserving choices on there.
Likes: 2
proseimprint - Oct 4, 2016
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/03/books/readers-guide-to-this-falls-big-book-awards.html?_r=0
Likes: 3
proseimprint - Oct 3, 2016
@EdParks @ey814 Murakami is going to win a Nobel one year, though Adunis' poetic language and the time that we are living in right now makes him a strong contender. I must agree Jim Harrison is they most underrated American literature voice.
Likes: 2
ey814 - Oct 3, 2016
@EdParks @ey814 Murakami and Roth are always up toward the top of these 'odds' lists. As you probably saw, Hurakami is sitting at #1 on this list. Maybe this will be the year one of them win. (I'm puzzled by why Daniel Kahneman is on this 'odds' list. He won the Nobel for Economics in 2002, and all of his books (as far as I know) are non-fiction. Odd.)
Likes: 2
EdParks - Oct 3, 2016
@ey814 My preference would be for the Nobel Prize in Literature to be awarded to Haruki Murakami or Philp Roth.. And I have always been perplexed that Jim Harrison was never considered a legitimate contender for the Nobel Prize. His poetry and prose are more respected and read internationally than in the United States. Alas, I must accept the reality that this will never happen.
Likes: 2
ey814 - Oct 3, 2016
Just because I do this every year (and not because there seems to be any relationship between the odds of winning the Nobel prize for Literature and these lists), here is a website that compiles the odds for who will win the Nobel literature prize across various brokers. Roth is fourth, Oates is seventh, then no Americans until Bob Dylan shows up thirty or so slots later.

http://www.nicerodds.co.uk/nobel-prize-in-literature
Likes: 3
EdParks - Oct 3, 2016
@AlexKerner I didn't answer your specific question, does it get better in the second half? Not sure better is the proper word. It gets more specific, as to the emerging plot, and somewhat darker. But, as with most issues in literature, it would be subjective as to the point of "getting better".
Likes: 1
BRAKiasaurus - Oct 3, 2016
@EdParks @AlexKerner I've really loved the first half, haven't gotten to the second.
Likes: 4
Mstexexec - Oct 2, 2016
Just read A Gentleman from Moscow. A must read for the list. Beyond Exceptional!
Likes: 3
EdParks - Oct 2, 2016
@AlexKerner First, I thought PURITY was underrated and a very good novel. Particularly if one can overlook the ending, which read like a bad situation comedy. Although not normally my "go to" review site, Entertainment Weekly may have put THE NIX in the proper perspective when it said: "Nathan Hill's sad, funny, endlessly inventive debut feels like exactly the kind of novel Septembers are made for: a big fat cinder block of a book brainy enough to wipe away the last SPF-smeared vestiges of a lazy summer but so immediately engaging, too, that it makes the transition feel like a reward, not homework."
Likes: 1
AlexKerner - Oct 2, 2016
@EdParks i know this may upset folks. I am about 40% in and I am feeling nonplussed about the Nix. The writing is pretty pedestrian for something aiming to be literary fiction and the dialogue (especially with the 11 year old Samuel) is completely unbelievable. The themes being explored are interesting but it feels like a slightly better executed Purity (which was Franzen at his weakest) I am finding it pretty tedious so far. Does it get better in the second half?
Likes: 2
BRAKiasaurus - Sep 27, 2016
@EdParks Hey Ed, I'm 300 pages in and have loved every page. It will definitely be in my top 5 if it continues at this rate. Will keep you posted. :D
Likes: 2
EdParks - Sep 27, 2016
@myram319 @EdParks Thank you. Everyone has been so welcoming, I am delighted to be back. I see your ratings quite frequently on LibraryThing. We seem to have similar tastes in literature.
Likes: 3
myram319 - Sep 27, 2016
@EdParks I like your review! It's in the top three for me so far this year. I'm so glad you are back.
Likes: 1
AlexKerner - Sep 27, 2016
@EdParks thanks for the review Ed. I have just started listening to the audiobook. I must say that I am finding the style very Franzen-esque, ie clever and sharp...but I have to admit that I am also tired of this kind of writing as it has become so ubiquitous among young American authors. I will certainly find the book and story enjoyable but also a bit weary of the the style.
Likes: 4
EdParks - Sep 27, 2016
At one point in THE NIX a book editor queries our protagonist, Samuel, "So it's going to be six hundred pages and ten people will read it? Congratulations!" My only issue with the terrific debut novel by Nathan Hill is that it is perhaps a third (200 pages) too long. I am not at all adverse to big books, by that I mean large page count books. This may even be the year of the "big book" as I have read several. THE NIX starts out like a house on fire and the prose "sizzles and crackles". But it is difficult to sustain such a pace and somewhere near the midpoint things become a bit tedious. One starts to question the purpose of, or length of, a scene and wonder why that wasn't edited from the manuscript. I guess you could say that at times the novel is uneven and could have been tightened up, just a bit. There are several humorous scenes, particularly in the early part of the book. But the novel becomes darker as the narrative progresses.

This is serious literature dealing with important themes and ideas that deal with love, idealism, choices, hope, disappointment, home, injustice, greed, forgiveness and virtually every emotion of the human soul.

The novel was written over a ten year period, yet is relevant to the political discourse of 2016. Nathan Hill writes, "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." And, near the end of the novel he declares, "We are more politically fanatical than ever before, more religiously zealous, more rigid in our thinking, less capable of empathy."

Nathan Hill is, without question, the real deal and a novelist to keep your eye closely upon. In THE NIX he repeatedly broke and enlivened my heart with a wide swathe of empathy. And despite my quibble with its length I would still place THE NIX in my top five novels of the year. Has anyone else read THE NIX? What did you think?
Likes: 3
EdParks - Sep 27, 2016
@Pat52 Without question A DOUBTER'S ALMANAC is Ethan Canin's finest book. I thought the book was masterfully first-rate. What I admired most was that, from the first page, it got progressively and consistently better as the novel progressed. Such an aspect is too rarely seen in today's literature.
EdParks - Sep 27, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks WOW!!!! I am impressed. I really didn't think many could top my book count. In the day McMurtry books (in as new/as new condition) used to be great finds on the discount shelves. However, remaindered books, like everything else in the book business, have changed rather dramatically over the last few years. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to find remaindered books without a remainder mark. Particularly at Barnes & Noble stores which is pretty much the only option for me in Central Indiana.
Pat52 - Sep 26, 2016
@ey814 @Pat52 Be Frank with Me, debut by Julia Claiborne Johnson
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ey814 - Sep 26, 2016
@EdParks You forced me to count my copies of McMurtry books.... 102, but one is a monograph (Splendors & Miseries of Being an Author & Bookseller, and one (Flim, Flam) isn't a first, so 100 as well! I've seen him at book fairs three times, and managed to get him to sign the Proof and 1st Edition of each of the books in the Lonesome Dove series. I had wondered if there would even be another book from him. I have the 24th of June on my calendar already, going to do what I can to be there.
EdParks - Sep 26, 2016
@Marybethking Thanks, again, Marybeth.
EdParks - Sep 26, 2016
@Marybethking Thanks, Marybeth.
Marybethking - Sep 24, 2016
Welcome back Ed!!
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Marybethking - Sep 24, 2016
'The Sympathizer' was brilliant. I kind of ignored it last year also due to the brilliance of a documentary regarding the fall of Saigon. I felt like I was on the ground floor of Vietnam throughout the novel. P.S. Welcome back Ed!!
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EdParks - Sep 24, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks @tklein27 I recalled your admiration for McMurtry that's why I slipped in that little aside. As I have previously mentioned, I have met him twice and I am the proud owner of 100 (exactly) first edition books by Mr. McMurtry. He turned 80 this year and doesn't appear to be in the best of health. Supposedly, his next book is a compilation of vignettes about the women he has known during his lifetime. I am sure Susan Sontag, Diane Keaton and Cybill Shepherd will be included. There are also plans in the works for a June 24, 2017 Larry McMurtry Festival in Archer City, Texas. "The festival is to celebrate all things Larry McMurtry and the impact he has had on not only in his hometown of Archer City, but the impact he has had on the world with his books and his wonderful characters who have become household names."
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ey814 - Sep 24, 2016
@EdParks @ey814 @tklein27 Yes, Stoner is a classic (William Stoner grew up on a farm--in the book, obvously) near Boonville, Missouri, where my mom and dad grew up, so it felt even more pertinent to me!). I have Miss Jane on my 'to read' list, and your recommendation moved it up on the list (and makes me want to re-read Stoner!). I an advance reading copy of Jiles' News of the World after the longlist came out, and I'm excited to read it as well... we lived in North Texas (Dallas and surrounding area) for 15 years, and McMurtry has always been one of my favorite authors (when I lived in the Dallas area, I'd make an annual trek up to The Blue Pig, which was the name of the bookstore then run by Larry McMurtry's sister in Archer City. I have a lot of Millet's books, but like you, haven't read any yet... probably time to start. I agree that one doesn't need the prize lists to read well and expansively (many folks on this list do an amazing job of doing that!). Still, most such lists ends up highlighting a book I probably would not have read, but will enjoy.... perhaps Jiles' and Watson's books on the NBA list.
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EdParks - Sep 24, 2016
@ey814 @EdParks @tklein27 Thanks, Michael. My 2016 reading did not coincide much with the National Book Award long list. I have only read THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and MISS JANE. I didn't think as highly of Colson's book as did you. But MISS JANE by Brad Watson is my top book of the year. As an academic, you have undoubtedly read the wonderful novel STONER by John Williams. MISS JANE is very similar in tone and, like STONER, covers the quiet arc of one's life.

I always purchase Lydia Millet books, but never seem to read them. A bookseller/poet friend of mine was touting the admirable qualities of WHAT BELONGS TO YOU. I would have probably purchased the book had it been a first printing, but it was already into multiple printings shortly after publication. Paulette Jiles is an author I read, but until the long list was announced didn't even know she had a new book out. I know that Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana have written a screenplay for her novel THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING, but haven't heard if it will actually be produced.

Since 2016 is proving to be such a wonderful year for literary fiction I must say that the list, from my perspective, is a bit disappointing. But I have also come to the revelation that I don't need the National Book Award or the Pulitzer Prize to inform me on what is good literature. It is all too subjective, and I read expansively enough to decide for myself. I didn't mean for that to sound arrogant. Yet, it is still fun from and entertainment viewpoint to speculate of what book might win an award.
TonyTx - Sep 23, 2016
@ey814 @Pat52 Be Frank with Me, debut by Julia Claiborne Johnson... I too feel Doubter's Almanac may be a contender.... I'd would like to here your take ey814, if you read it
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ey814 - Sep 23, 2016
@JohnZ @EdParks I hope we receive invitations to opening night!
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ey814 - Sep 23, 2016
@EdParks @tklein27 Glad to see you back as well Ed. Thoughts on NBA longlist?
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BRAKiasaurus - Sep 23, 2016
@ey814 @BRAKiasaurus @AlexKerner Oh nice! I couldn't find it anywhere! Thanks for the heads up!
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ey814 - Sep 23, 2016
@EdParks @BRAKiasaurus Gads, I'd forgotten Lee Smith had a new book. Yet another one to add to my list!
ey814 - Sep 23, 2016
@Pat52 I'm glad to hear that you liked Doubter's Almanac. Ethan Canin is someone who, I think, has the chops to win. I haven't read DOUBTER'S yet, and was wondering if it was any good! Who did "Be Frank with Me"?
ey814 - Sep 23, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @AlexKerner October 16 publication in U.S. (and if you go to Amazon.ca (Canadian version of Amazon) you can order the Canadian version of it now.)
ey814 - Sep 23, 2016
@sduff222 It is a looonnnggg list!
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BRAKiasaurus - Sep 23, 2016
@AlexKerner

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!

:D

Hahaha, well, I guess that makes sense. Glad to hear your review of it--it's a novel I'm curious about. Unfortunately, unless it wins the Booker, it probably won't come out until next year. (I know the Scotiabank Giller Prize winners sometimes take a full year after the prize to arrive here, usually to little fanfare, but that prize seems, recently at least, to have gone to smaller presses.)
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sduff222 - Sep 23, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @AlexKerner @sduff222 I was able to get an e-galley through NetGalley, but I'm a librarian. Still might be worth trying, though!
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AlexKerner - Sep 23, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @AlexKerner @sduff222 i'm Canadian ;)
BRAKiasaurus - Sep 23, 2016
@AlexKerner @sduff222 How did you obtain a copy? It doesn't seem to be available (or have a pub date) in the U.S.
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AlexKerner - Sep 22, 2016
@sduff222 a great list. I am in the middle of Thien's Do Not Say We Have Nothing, which obviously isn't eligible for the Pulitzer but which I think will win this year's Man Booker
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EdParks - Sep 22, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Some additional thoughts on Jim Harrison. DALVA is his best book. And for a rip snorting good time nothing beats his ribald classic THE RAW AND THE COOKED: ADVENTURES OF A ROVING GOURMAND.
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EdParks - Sep 22, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Callan Wink, the author of DOG RUN MOON, also happens to have been a friend of, and a fishing guide for, Jim Harrison. He is currently a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University.

I wish I had a signed copy of THE ANCIENT MINSTREL. Unfortunately, I doubt if he had the opportunity to sign many copies of his "final" book.

Ottessa Moshfegh, author of the wonderful novel EILEEN, has a story collection coming out in early 2017 titled HOMESICK FOR ANOTHER WORLD.

Everyone is talking about HOMEGOING. I must read it!
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BRAKiasaurus - Sep 22, 2016
@EdParks @BRAKiasaurus Good to hear your thoughts on "Dog Moon Run"--it is a book that has been on my radar, but I haven't yet had occasion to read it. I found a signed copy of "The Ancient Minstrel" and have only read the forward, but the quality of the writing was absolutely beautiful. I haven't actually read much of Harrison's work, however my father is a huge fan, and I have read "Dead Man's Float", which I really loved.

"All That Man Is", which claims to be a novel (and which isn't out until next month) but which sounds more like a collection of stories around a theme, is getting a lot of buzz and was shortlisted for the Booker.

Similarly, "Homegoing" is a collection of stories; despite the fact that each of the stories stands on its own, it is their cumulative effect that renders it so powerful.

Other potential collections I have on my radar:

E. L. Doctorow's collected stories is due out at the beginning of next year.

"Deceit and Other Possibilities" also sounds promising.
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EdParks - Sep 22, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus I haven't read too many short stories this year. I read an occasional on-line story usually cabbaged through LitHub. As far as books are concerned the standout is definitely DOG RUN MOON by Callan Wink. Unfortunately, he is very reticent about active promotion, so the book garnered little attention. I thought Lee Smith's book DIMESTORE was very well done. The stories/essays are all rather dated, having been written over a number of years, but I certainly enjoyed the book. I read A CLEAR VIEW OF THE SOUTHERN SKY by Mary Hood. Solid stories, but nothing more. I came across a perfect first edition copy of FACING THE MUSIC by Larry Brown (1988), the only book of this late southern writer that I didn't own. The stories weren't quite as good as I would have hoped for, but the book has significant personal and monetary value. I also read DEAR LIFE by Alice Munro. But everyone, knows about the Canadian master of the short story. And finally and sadly I read the final (?) book of one of my all-time favorite authors Jim Harrison. THE ANCIENT MINSTREL is three somewhat autobiographical novellas by the beloved author. Pure Harrison, there is no author I enjoyed, or admired more than Jim Harrison. I am still, though six months removed, reeling from his death. But how poetic that he died at his writing desk?

There just hasn't been many collections that have caught my attention in 2016. But the publication of short stories do seem to be somewhat cyclical.
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EdParks - Sep 22, 2016
@DavidPetersen Thanks David. I have not read HOMEGOING, but have heard wonderful things about it. My friend "The Book Bully" said the writing reminded her of Ann Patchett. I need to grab me a copy and give it a go.
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EdParks - Sep 22, 2016
@tklein27 @EdParks Thanks, Tom. It's good to be back.
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tklein27 - Sep 21, 2016
@EdParks Welcome back Ed.
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BRAKiasaurus - Sep 21, 2016
@EdParks Also, you were a great source for all short stories last year--anything pique your interest this year?
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sduff222 - Sep 21, 2016
Carnegie Award longlist: http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/carnegieadult/longlists

Alameddine, Rabih. The Angel of History. (Atlantic Monthly)

Beverly, Bill. Dodgers. (Crown)

Butler, Robert Olen. Perfume River. (Atlantic Monthly)

Chabon, Michael. Moonglow. (Harper)

Eggers, Dave. Heroes of the Frontier. (Knopf)

Enrigue, Álvaro. Sudden Death. (Riverhead)

Erdrich, Louise. LaRose. (Harper)

Gyasi, Yaa. Homegoing. (Knopf)

Haslett, Adam. Imagine Me Gone. (Little, Brown)

Ivey, Eowyn. To the Bright Edge of the World. (Little, Brown)

Lee, Krys. How I Became a North Korean. (Viking)

Mbue, Imbolo. Behold the Dreamers. (Random House)

Morgan, C. E. The Sport of Kings. (Farrar)

Murphy, Tim. Christodora. (Grove)

Patchett, Ann. Commonwealth. (Harper)

Prose, Francine. Mister Monkey. (Harper)

Smith, Dominic. The Last Painting of Sara de Vos. (Farrar)

Smith, Zadie. Swing Time. (Penguin)

Strout, Elizabeth. My Name Is Lucy Barton. (Random House)

Terrell, Whitney. The Good Lieutenant. (Farrar)

Thien, Madeleine. Do Not Say We Have Nothing. (Norton)

Watson, Larry. As Good as Gone. (Algonquin)

Whitehead, Colson. The Underground Railroad. (Doubleday)

Woodson, Jacqueline. Another Brooklyn.edit (Harper)
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DavidPetersen - Sep 21, 2016
Ed I'm very glad your hiatus is over. I've mostly lurked the last few years, and I have missed your suggestions on here. Welcome back!

As for the lists, I'm a bit disappointed we aren't seeing Homegoing as well.
EdParks - Sep 21, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Looking over the site on my return I noticed that congratulations are in order for the birth of you child. Is it your first?

Due to all the mixed reviews and comments I didn't get around to reading CITY ON FIRE until this year. And I thought it was phenomenal. It is possibly the best written and smartest novel that I have read in, well. . .ever! There was a lot of talk about its length, but I wouldn't have cut one word.

I am so very much impressed with the literary fiction of 2016. Of the few debuts I have read I was supremely disappointed in NITRO MOUNTAIN by Lee Clay Johnson and didn't care much for THE GIRLS by Emma Cline. However, I thought DOG RUN MOON by Callan Wink was truly first-rate.

In my opinion several authors have written their best books in 2016. Of those I speak are: A DOUBTER'S ALMANAC by Ethan Canin, BARKSKINS by Annie Proulx, THE HEAVENLY TABLE by Donald Ray Pollock, TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD by Eowyn Ivey and my two favorites of the year thus far LATE ONE NIGHT by Lee Martin and MISS JANE by Brad Watson.

Other solid books, in my opinion, were EVERYBODY'S FOOL by Richard Russo and SPORT OF KINGS by C.E. Morgan. Every book mentioned thus far I have rated either 5 or 4 1/2 stars on LibraryThing. Which are much higher ratings than I normally bestow.

Along with the good there is also the not so good. My colossal disappointments thus far in 2016 are MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON by Elizabeth Strout, CITY OF SECRETS by Stewart O'Nan, THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colson Whitehead and LAROSE by Louise Erdrich. Other minor disappointments were WHY WE CAME TO THE CITY by Kristopher Jansma, HEAT AND LIGHT by Jennifer Haigh, AS GOOD AS GONE by Larry Watson and as much as it troubles me to say this, as she is my all-time favorite literary personality, COMMONWEALTH by Ann Patchett.

As you, I am currently reading THE NIX by Nathan Hill. I started it yesterday and loved Part 1, I thought his writing of dialogue was spectacular. Part 2 where Samuel and Bishop are eleven years old and in the sixth grade I found a bit tedious. I am ready now for Part 3 (Page 165) and I am optimistic. Like you, many people have compared Nathan Hill to John Irving. Personally, I see a great similarity in style and content. So much so I have been expecting a bear to appear at any moment!

I am sure I have left out something significant, but that is my best and worst of 2016.
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BRAKiasaurus - Sep 21, 2016
@EdParks @BRAKiasaurus Glad to have you back, Ed!

I have missed your suggestions--I'd like to hear your thoughts on the year thus far, outside the scope of the Kirkus prizes. (I agree, by the way, that Kirkus has a stronger--and perhaps more expected--set of finalists.)

For myself, I'm shocked that "Homegoing" hasn't gotten any love, particularly on a long list, where you'd assume it would at least place. It is a very strong collection, and it is probably among the most important novels I will read this year.

"Sport of Kings" was so uneven and so wonderful and so problematic and yet so strong...I don't even really know how to talk about it. (It may be this year's "A Little Life": a layered, strange, uneven *experience* of a novel that demands discussion but possibly not awards.) I really enjoyed reading it, despite its flaws.

"The Girls" was solidly written but the resolution didn't entirely justify the journey.

"The Nix": I'm about 300 pages in, and it is just a hell of a good read. It's akin to...reading...I don't know..."A Prayer for Owen Meany", perhaps? A novel that feels literary, but is just endless fun. It's even made me laugh, which is rare for a novel, even those that claim to be humorous or comedic.

I've joined Powell's indiespensible club, and I have yet to read "The Sympathizer". Between those two things, I'm probably set for the rest of the year. Oddly (as the fall is when the heavy hitters are released), I think we've probably got most of our likely prize contenders before us already. I doubt Lethem or Chabon's novels will surpass the books that have already been published...but I guess we'll see!
Likes: 4
Pat52 - Sep 21, 2016
there are so many great novels this year. But the top of my list has to be A Doubter's Almanac, but I must mention

What Belongs to You, Behold the Dreamers and Shelter by Jung Yun. Did anyone get a chance to read Be Frank With Me?
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EdParks - Sep 20, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus There are so many books to choose from this year. I think BARKSKINS is Annie Proulx's best book ever. SPORT OF KINGS was solid, but a bit "iffy" on actual aspects Kentucky Derby horse racing. I didn't care much for THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and don't understand it's appeal other than the gimmick of a real railroad and Oprah. A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW had great potential, but didn't quite pull it off. I haven't read the books by McGinnis or Haslett. The Kirkus Prize list seems to me more solid than the NBA long list.
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EdParks - Sep 20, 2016
@JohnZ @EdParks Great news about the screenplay. After I decided to take a hiatus from PPrize I looked far and wide for an email address for you, but was unsuccessful in locating one. While 2016 has been an excellent year for fiction no book has stayed with me more than LATE ONE NIGHT. I truly believe that LATE ONE NIGHT and MISS JANE are the two best books of the year. And it appears that MISS JANE may become a "player" in the upcoming award season.

I had heard the good news about Lee's impending nuptials.
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JohnZ - Sep 20, 2016
@EdParks @JohnZ Hello, Ed. I have Late One Night, which I've been reading in spurts. I did attend the first reading here in Columbus. Upon seeing me, Lee came right over, preceded by a smile and an oustretched hand. We did a bit of catch-up as to events and changes that had occurred in our lives since the last time we had spoken, and he introduced me to his lovely fiancee. It was a pleasant evening.

At the time, I was reading The Sympathizer, which I'm sure you know won the 2016 Pulitzer. And rightfully so. Along with The Orphan Master's Son and To Kill a Mockingbird, it holds a place at the top of the list of my favorite novels. This year, the Pulitzers made some fitting choices. (Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS, by Joby Warrick, was another excellent choice. Along with The Looming Tower, by Lawrence Wright, Black Flags is the best work of nonfiction I've read.)

As I was settling in to read Late One Night, I received a message from my producing/writing partner, in which he informed me that he had pitched to another producer a screenplay I had been prepping to write. It turns out that an actor who had a recent big success is interested in co-producing and starring in it. Which means that, for the past few months, I've been more or less chained to my computer (ha) in order to finish a draft. Naturally, the news was exciting to receive. That said, I had to conquer the butterflies and euphoria so that I could focus wholly on writing the screenplay. Writing, no matter the medium, is a process -- challenging, yes; also, wonderful; and it requires much time and concentration.

When I'm in the thick of a writing project, I often do not read fiction. I don't know why; it's just how it goes. So I have a pile of fiction books that I will be reading when I finish my current project, one of which is Late One Night. Still, I will admit to jumping back and reading a chapter here and there -- always the sign of a good book.

When I finish Late One Night, I will let you know what I think.
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BRAKiasaurus - Sep 20, 2016
Kirkus prize finalists:

Adam Haslett, Imagine Me GoneJoe McGinniss Jr., Carousel CourtC.E. Morgan, The Sport of KingsAnnie Proulx, BarkskinsAmor Towles, A Gentleman in MoscowColson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad

More familiar faces--Haslett potentially getting a little momentum.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/20/494480411/kirkus-prize-finalists-include-annie-proulx-sherman-alexie-jason-reynolds
ey814 - Sep 20, 2016
@AlexKerner @ey814 @jfieds2 @BRAKiasaurus Finished Bel Canto (it deserves all the praise it received) and started Commonwealth. Just a chapter into the latter, but like it! She's going to be in Kansas City in October, so I want to have it read before the event. Then I'm reading The Nix, since Hill will be in Lawrence later in October.
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ey814 - Sep 20, 2016
@EdParks @JohnZ I think your observation that it was published by a small house and not reviewed explains why it dropped of many radar screens, including my own. I had it on a list of books I thought were noteworthy to look for at the start of the year, but had not gone back to that. I've put it on my reading list. Thanks for the reminder.
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EdParks - Sep 19, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Having read everything that she has published and seen her in person nine times I am one of Ann Patchett's true admirers. That said, the new novel COMMONWEALTH is unlike any other Patchett novel that I have read. First, it covers a larger expanse of time than she has previously confronted. And secondly she has acknowledged that it is her most autobiographical novel to date. These two items caused a bit of a quandary for me. First, due to the range, approximately 50 years, the novel is not classically plotted as most of Ann's novels. It has more of an interconnected short stories feel, than that of a traditional novel. And, secondly because of the autobiographical nature of the book I became obsessed with trying to determine what is based on fact and what is total fiction. On this front I can only state that, from what I know about the personal life of Ann Patchett, the character Fix Keating is a spot on depiction of Ann's late father Frank Patchett. While COMMONWEALTH is very different from her other novels, it is very much Ann Patchett one of our greatest American writers.
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c0dysseus - Sep 15, 2016
I have read a lot of books this year and I must admit I also find this list disappointing. My opinion, which I am aware has no literary value, is there were many good, maybe even great books overlooked which left me wondering what they even read for consideration. La Rose, Sport of Kings, Barkskins, Homegoing, The Mirror Thief, The Last Painting of Sara De Vos, Desert Boys, A Doubter's Almanac, all feel overlooked. Once I finish The Pier Falls, which while I'm on the subject, seems was overlooked for the Booker Prize, I guess I will read Sweet Lamb of Heaven next. My tastes must be off this year ... The Portable Veblen was my only DNF.
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EdParks - Sep 15, 2016
@JohnZ I have been anxious to hear what you thought about LATE ONE NIGHT by our friend Lee Martin. I thought it was a fabulous, nuanced novel of the first degree. It's just too bad that he had to go to Dzanc Books to get it published. To my knowledge the novel was not reviewed in (or on) any major review forum.
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BRAKiasaurus - Sep 15, 2016
@AlexKerner @BRAKiasaurus @ey814 Yeah, agree
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jjose712 - Sep 15, 2016
@ey814 The underground railroad and What belongs to you were clearly favourites to be on the longlist (and probably on the shortlist too).

Imagine me gone and Sweet lanb of heaven probably hadn't so much buzz but both are novels with good reviews from well known authors.

I heard about The portable veblen and The association of small bombs (i admit that i didn't pay much attention about what i read about them).

And the rest are quite a surprise. In this page people comment about a lot of books (not only about the ones they think it will receive awards) and i used to read some webs and i didn't heard about any of them.

Big awards generally come with some surprises but in this case the number of surprises is higher than usual, specially in a year with a lot of big names with well received novels.
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MichaelRuddon - Sep 15, 2016
@ey814 I read Portable Veblen did not like it at all.

Erdrich did win this one with her last book, they probably wanted to spread the wealth Woodson also won for her last book "Brown Girl Dreaming" but that was in the Young People's Literature
EdParks - Sep 15, 2016
@ey814 2016 is proving to be an excellent year for literary fiction. Of the books that I have read MISS JANE by Brad Watson is head and shoulders above them all. The novel is certainly worthy and deserving of inclusion onto the long list for the 2016 National Book Award. I was shocked and dismayed that neither Publishers Weekly nor Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review. But the readers on both LibraryThing and Goodreads are singing it's justifiable praises. It is currently rocking a 4.54 rating on LibraryThing. The dust jacket blurbs, by some very respectable writers, are verging on reverence. To get my re-emergence to this site off to controversial, but hopefully not confrontational, beginning I honestly believe that the two weakest and most overrated novels that I have read this calendar year are LAROSE and THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
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AlexKerner - Sep 15, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @AlexKerner @ey814 maybe the association of small bombs as well.
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BRAKiasaurus - Sep 15, 2016
@AlexKerner @ey814 I'm actually surprised by this list (I very often am surprised by the NBA). I feel like they have generally taken it upon themselves to only pick one or two buzz books, but I could be wrong. There are always a lot of surprises in the longlist, including some I've never heard of.

It wouldn't surprise me to see these three among the finalists:

Imagine Me Gone

What Belongs to You

The Underground Railroad
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myram319 - Sep 15, 2016
@ey814 I've read "Another Brooklyn" and found it to be a solid read, but nothing extraordinary. I would describe it as a slim book of memories written in beautiful prose, more of a novella than a novel. This is the first book I've read by Woodson.
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AlexKerner - Sep 15, 2016
@ey814 @jfieds2 @BRAKiasaurus i just heard her interviewed on the Lit Up podcast and she was great. So I just got the Bel Canto audiobook from the library
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AlexKerner - Sep 15, 2016
@ey814 somewhat disappointing of a list
ey814 - Sep 15, 2016
So, anyone read any of the books we haven't discussed?
ey814 - Sep 15, 2016
@jfieds2 @ey814 @BRAKiasaurus I've been too long in reading it, but now that I'm into it, I don't know why I didn't make time for it sooner!
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jfieds2 - Sep 15, 2016
@ey814 @BRAKiasaurus You're in for a treat, my friend. BEL CANTO is a masterpiece.
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ey814 - Sep 15, 2016
NBA longlist out. Doesn't have many of the books we've been discussing... though does have Whitehead's book... no Erdrich.

Chris Bachelder, "The Throwback Special"

W. W. Norton & Company

Garth Greenwell, "What Belongs to You"Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Adam Haslett, "Imagine Me Gone"Little, Brown & Company

Paulette Jiles, "News of the World"William Morrow

Karan Mahajan, "The Association of Small Bombs"Viking Books

Lydia Millet, "Sweet Lamb of Heaven"W. W. Norton & Company

Elizabeth McKenzie, "The Portable Veblen"Penguin Press

Brad Watson, "Miss Jane"W. W. Norton & Company

Colson Whitehead, "The Underground Railroad"Doubleday

Jacqueline Woodson, "Another Brooklyn"Amistad
ey814 - Sep 15, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Figured I needed to read Bel Canto first, so am finishing that up, then going to read Commonwealth.
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jjose712 - Sep 13, 2016
The Man Booker Prize shortlist:

Paul Beatty (US) - The Sellout (Oneworld)

Deborah Levy (UK) - Hot Milk (Hamish Hamilton)

Graeme Macrae Burnet (UK) - His Bloody Project (Contraband)

Ottessa Moshfegh (US) – Eileen (Jonathan Cape)

David Szalay (Canada-UK) - All That Man Is (Jonathan Cape)

Madeleine Thien (Canada) - Do Not Say We Have Nothing (Granta Books)

It seems that little thriller is going to fight till the end
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BRAKiasaurus - Sep 12, 2016
Similar to my previous week's question? Anyone have opinions on Ann Patchett's latest?
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AlexKerner - Sep 10, 2016
@ey814 so exciting!
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ey814 - Sep 10, 2016
Fiction longlist will be announced Thursday, September 15.
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BRAKiasaurus - Sep 6, 2016
"Mischling" is out today--anyone read it?

I'm still working on "Homegoing", however (due to my daughter taking a nap on my chest while only "The Nix" was within reach) I started "The Nix" and have had a hard time putting it down. I'm about 100 pages in--definitely worth picking up. If the novel continues at this trajectory, it should fare well during awards season. :D
Likes: 2
jjose712 - Sep 2, 2016
@proseimprint Maybe the only surprise is that Work like any other is not there after being nominated to the Booker, but i think the strong favourites are there.

I find curious the comment on the site that the list is dissapointed because it lacks in diversity, apart of being only one men between the finalists (which is not that problematic after almost all the big prizes of last season being awarded to men) the shortlist look quite diverse to me
Likes: 1
BRAKiasaurus - Sep 2, 2016
@proseimprint It has been years since I've read "Roots", however there is something in the immediacy, the succinctness, of the story form that the bold line drawn from the 1700s to the present feels more direct. I can't think of a time I've seen the linked short story collection used to this effect.
proseimprint - Sep 1, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus They have an author named Alex Haley
Likes: 4
proseimprint - Sep 1, 2016
Rather impressive list. http://centerforfiction.org/awards/the-first-novel-prize/2016-first-novel-prize-short-list/
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grahammyers - Sep 1, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus it was really spectacular and emotionally affecting. it's right behind "The Underground Railroad" for me.
Likes: 6
ey814 - Aug 31, 2016
Awards season begins!

September 12–15: National Book Award Longlists announcedSeptember 29: 5 Under 35 Honorees announcedOctober 12: National Book Award Finalists announcedNovember 16: National Book Award Winners announced
Guardiands - Aug 31, 2016
I have about 50 pages left, and so far it is the best book I've read this year. I absolutely love it. I agree with you about the structure, it helped me to realize how recent even a couple of centuries can be in terms of family generations. The characters are captivating, and the writing flows. Glad you also enjoy it, Brak. I always enjoy your posts.
Likes: 3
BRAKiasaurus - Aug 31, 2016
I'm about half way through Yaa Ghasi's brilliant "Homegoing". The structure is so straightforward and yet so brilliant--I'm shocked no one has ever done it before. Truly, a wonderful novel (or collection of linked stories). :)
Likes: 4
BRAKiasaurus - Aug 31, 2016
@myram319 picked up a signed copy!
Likes: 4
myram319 - Aug 29, 2016
NY TImes on Nathan Hill's The Nix

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/27/books/nathan-hill-the-nix.html?_r=0
Pending
Guardiands - Aug 27, 2016
I found the second half of Zero K to be well written and engaging. But I had the hardest time with the first half. Ultimately it is a fine read, but not one I'd highly recommend.
Pending
ejcrowe42 - Aug 25, 2016
@ChuckRyan Yes, ey814 is correct. Our August selection for Odyssey's club was Mr Eternity, which is a good novel and a relevant one to our time, but I agree that it's not as likely to make the rounds on the award shortlists as many of our other selections. Hedging our bets that the new Oprah book was going to be the Whitehead, we actually lobbied hard to get that book in August, but it didn't work out. But for the summer I always enjoy picking at least one selection that people will enjoy reading and which may be on the lighter side to balance out our much weightier selections the rest of the year.

Our upcoming picks are Affinity Konar, Jonathan Safran Foer, Ann Patchett, and Brit Bennett, for anybody who is interested. Our December selection is TBD.

I mostly stopped posting here because it was too frustrating waiting for my comments to be posted. It took weeks for the last one to show up. This one is being written on 8/25/2016, fwiw.
Likes: 3
Marybethking - Aug 25, 2016
@AlexKerner

@ey814 The best books of the summer I read were 'The Girl in the Red Coat' and 'Before the Fall' and I've also really enjoyed some of JoJo Moyes work too. I agree, not fair to compare. I found the prose to be profound as well; my favorite was the line 'it was big in its smallness.' I'm finding more and more that if a modern writer can construct a sentence that really no one can digest it is hailed as being brilliant because no one is willing to call it. I feel like I'm riding the polar express and a horrific chapter of American history has been thrown in for good measure. Again, just my opinion.
Likes: 2
Marybethking - Aug 25, 2016
@ey814 no, not really. I do find the path of writers to be fascinating though :).
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AlexKerner - Aug 25, 2016
@Marybethking @ey814 i think what makes UR special though isn't the extensive research on slavery. I personally found the journey to these alternative Americas the most interesting both technically and plot wise. In the end the journey isn't just about Cora's escape but about what America is, what it looks like when we look outside through the window of the moving train.Also, I don't necessarily think it's fair to compare Whitehead's writing to Grisham et al. Not to disparage popular fiction (because I read it all the time for pleasure) but the sentences Whitehead creates are marvels at times. I had to stop at moments to appreciate the writing, something I don't do when reading more mainstream fiction.

All that said, reading and what we like is subjective so I get that not everyone will get the same thing from it. My father, for example, really liked the book but also did not feel that it said anything 'new' about slavery. I disagreed with that perspective but obviously everyone's take is different.Also, in terms of the sticker, I'd argue that this book was on its way to award success well before Oprah picked it up (I don't think there is any correlation between her picks and PP winners too). Critics and book insiders have been shouting praise for UR for the last 6 months. Additionally, is there anything wrong with a sticker that gets more people to pick up a book like this?
Likes: 1
ey814 - Aug 25, 2016
@Marybethking I meant to ask if you wrote before I hit Post Comment. I'm equally curious about other writers who might be on the list. Anyone want to fess up?
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ey814 - Aug 25, 2016
@Marybethking you're very kind. I'm an academic, so I do write for a living to some degree (publish or perish!) and even took a crack at narrative non-fiction once, to mixed reviews (literally, in the age of Amazon.com reviews!!). I must say, I enjoyed writing that book more than most of the things I write, since I wasn't as constrained by the requirements of academic publishing, but it also gave me a greater appreciation for how difficult it must be to make a living writing fiction (and narrative non-fiction). My co-author and I actually had two different NYC-based agents from pretty reputable agencies. We were wanting a trade publisher, but hit the market at the wrong time (2005-2007) as publishing was at it's most difficult (that's my story and I'm sticking with it). We ended up with the book published by a small professional association aligned with our academic field, who did a nice job, but, of course, marketed it like a textbook. I'm guessing all of us who take the time and effort to participate in a discussion like this thread and talk about books we've read, liked, disliked, etc., have harbored thoughts about writing fiction. I know we've had some participants who were writers. I may take a crack at narrative non-fiction again sometime, but I don't seem to have the imagination/tools for fiction. On the positive side of that awareness, I think that makes me appreciate a well-written sentence or paragraph more than I would otherwise.
Likes: 2
Marybethking - Aug 24, 2016
@ey814 another point; you're a great writer so you should take a crack at the bat too.
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ey814 - Aug 24, 2016
@Marybethking didn't mean to misrepresent your point, just trying to articulate why I liked it, not to rebut anything you mentioned :-)
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Marybethking - Aug 24, 2016
@ey814 also writers named John Grisham, Ken Follett, and Dan Brown do extensive research before writing. So, the whole 1930s federal writers' project credential is not that impressive to me. Again, my ho so take it or leave it. Cheers.
Likes: 2
Marybethking - Aug 24, 2016
@ey814 Just to clarify, I never stated that I was 'tired of the slavery narrative.' I just need more than a pin point timeline/ total shock value of the injustices in order for me to consider a piece brilliant. It's like watching a horror film with no plot. Otherwise, you're left in the company of Kristin Hannah, JoJo Moyes, and Kate Morton. Sorry. It will still probably win due to the gross sticker on mine anyway....that's 'm.h.o.' sorry again :).
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AlexKerner - Aug 24, 2016
@ey814 i can't like your comment enough. I thought UR was not only captivating writing but also really creative use of the alternative histories of the US that Cora must travel through. It really was ingenious.
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ey814 - Aug 24, 2016
@Marybethking We can agree that BLUEST EYE was brilliant :-). I don't use 'brilliant' very often (really, not much at all, though I lived in the UK where it's a fairly commonly-used term!). Your comment made me consider if I really meant it. I've always liked Colson Whitehead. I first read JOHN HENRY DAYS (Pulitzer Prize Finalist) and thought it was engaging and inventive. I then read his first book, THE INTUITIONISTS, which was a very cleverly written dystopian piece that I liked equally well. I've read all of his fiction books, and though none of the books up to UNDERGROUND RAILROAD quite lived up to the promise of those first two books IMHO (and, truthfully, I didn't care much for ZONE ONE), I enjoyed reading them. So, was I attributing brilliance to UNDERGROUND RAILROAD because of my expectations and the hype for the book? I've now finished it, and would still say I think (an important qualifier, relative taste is a function of the person!) it is brilliant. I, for one, am not tired of the slavery narrative, in general, and as I think about it, I've read a lot of books around that theme the last few years (GOOD LORD BIRD, SELLOUT, WELCOME TO BRAGGSVILLE, SPORT OF KINGS), and each approaches the story differently. (I thought I was burned out on the Vietnam in American History story until I read SYMPATHIZER). I personally think it's not really accurate to describe UNDERGROUND RAILROAD as hewing to a strong historical narrative, though it is set in an historical context. But, Whitehead uses fiction to create a story that goes beyond just reading, for example, a narrative non-fiction account of slavery. The chronology of the narrative is roughly 10 years from 1850 on. There's no discussion of a pending civil war. The narrative while Cora is on the plantation on which she is held as a slave reads more like a historical narrative, but once she gets on the run, the literal railroad is not the only convention he uses. I don't want to spoil anything, but he brings up issues of eugenics (shadowing Tuskegee-like actions) 100 years before it ever happened, the so-called Freedom Trail is his invention and is a visceral illustration of the devastation wrought by slavery, the "live exhibit" piece is equally an invention and brilliantly illustrates how groups, particularly groups with power, change narratives to make it fit their world view/comfort level. And on and on. Further, I kept turning each page with a sense of dread that something was going to happen, even when things seemed fairly stable, which I think must be sort o that it is like to live as a minority in certain communities. So, I'm sticking with brilliant :-). And, not to justify my taste as "correct" or to imply that to think otherwise is incorrect (again, I'm not interested in being an arbiter or defender of what is 'true' art... I'm quite content to listen to dissenting opinions and respect those opinions), but I did note that Michiko Kakutani, the NY Times book reviewer who does not easily hand out over-the-top compliments said this: "The result is a potent, almost hallucinatory novel that leaves the reader with a devastating understanding of the terrible human costs of slavery. It possesses the chilling, matter-of-fact power of the slave narratives collected by the Federal Writers' Project in the 1930s, with echoes of Toni Morrison's "Beloved," Victor Hugo's "Les Misérables" and Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man," and with brush strokes borrowed from Jorge Luis Borges, Franz Kafka and Jonathan Swift."
Likes: 2
Marybethking - Aug 23, 2016
@ey814 to be honest; a writer could discuss the wingspan of a fly and if it makes me reconsider my relationships, the way I live, or the way I think, I consider that to be on writing well. NONE of these books besides maybe 'LaRose' have even pulled me in that direction. I don't think 'Underground Railroad' is brilliant. I think it reads like the Ken Follett of slavery marching along to a pin point timeline of violence and American history. Anyone can be a writer with enough research to back their story which is why readers are burned out on the WWII narrative as well. That being said, 'The Bluest Eye' was brilliant so I'm not adverse to a story with a strong historical narrative. The problem becomes when that is the writer's only trick in the bag.
Pending
owlettewise - Aug 23, 2016
@myram319 @owlettewise Thanks!
Likes: 1
myram319 - Aug 21, 2016
@owlettewise 2015 is there now, right above 2014.
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ey814 - Aug 21, 2016
I finished SPORT OF KINGS. Ambitious, important, and flawed. I don't really think the eras that the various generations existed in were all that well differentiated, particularly when the focus was on the farm. Perhaps that was intentional, but I found it somewhat irritating. The blatant racism of the Forge men seemed undifferentiated from one generation to the next and felt the same, whereas I think the profile of racism has changed dramatically from the Jim Crow era to today. There was an end-of-the-book attitude conversion that I didn't buy off on at all (trying not to put in any spoilers). There were also elements in the story that were, IMHO, unnecessary and distracting (not pertaining, I should add, to issues of race). That said, the book's linkages from antibellum slavery to Jim Crow racism and genocide to so-called post-racial America (not sure anyone is using that term in the wake of Ferguson any more) is important. I finished SPORT OF KINGS with mixed emotions... admiration, some annoyance, sort of overwhelmed... and immediately started UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. I'm halfway through this, and in some ways, the "heavy" way that SPORT OF KINGS handled slavery and its aftermath left more of an impression on me than the way Whitehead is handling it in UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. Now, that said, I think UNDERGROUND RAILROAD is brilliant. I'm seeing it, on a continuum, as somewhere between SPORT OF KINGS and WELCOME TO BRAGGSVILLE/THE SELLOUT. Had I not just finished SPORT OF KINGS, I think I would view UNDERGROUND RAILROAD as a darker book than I am now (although, I would note, Whitehead does not whitewash the violence and horror of slavery in any way). I'm anxious to finish UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. Right now, I'm on the fence as to whether it will replace LAROSE as my personal pick for the Pulitzer, but if it doesn't it will be second (and SPORT OF KINGS may well be third... nothing else I've read from this year tops it at this point).
ey814 - Aug 21, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus I've read both Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Looking back on my Goodreads rankings, I gave Everything is Illuminated 3 stars and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 4 stars. I remember being a bit annoyed with Everything is Illuminated in the same way I was annoyed with Dave Eggers' You Shall Know Our Velocity!... both seemed flippant at times and the novel came off as sort of uppity. I haven't read Here I Am yet. I suspect I will, though it is rather long. I'll be interested in the reviews.
Likes: 2
ey814 - Aug 21, 2016
@TELyles @myram319 I'm curious as well. The website does essentially what I do with "predictor variables," but not sure how the webmaster is analyzing the data to make predictions or rankings. I checked out the "key" (http://www.fictionawardwinners.com/key.cfm) and there is a very close relationship between the 'variables' that this computation is using and the variables I use (e.g., prior prize nominations, rankings on major end-of-year lists, etc.). In fact, this site included a couple of variables I didn't think about (total number of nominations for prizes received by the author, number of unique books for which author has received nomination) and includes "honors received by author" (e.g., MacArthur Fellow, New Yorker 20 under 40). Each book is identified by a dizzying array of book accolades (Amazon Best of the Month, NY Times Sunday Book Review Cover), but I can't tell if any of those are used in calculating the "score" that is used for ranking. It doesn't appear so, from what I can tell. I don't know how the webmaster is populating this site with data, but it's got to be a bot of some kind, as it would be almost a full time job to track and enter data related to the number of awards, lists, honors, etc. that are listed for each book. All of which would make it as useful or more useful than my data entry/analysis, except:

1. I'm not sure how the "ranking score" is calculated. I use a discriminant function analysis to determine the weighting for variables, as clearly some are more important that others in predicting the Pulitzer. On the other hand, the FAW site does not attempt to predict the Pulitzer, simply to rank the best books of the year. In fact, winning and being nominated for the Pulitzer are variables in the calculation for the FAW site. So, when you look back at prior year FAW Best of Books and see the final list, it includes whatever points are given for the Pulitzer/Pulitzer nomination and whatever other awards/best-of lists that occur after the Pulitzer is announced.

2. It includes non-American authors who are not eligible for the Pulitzer.

3. Wherever the site is drawing data from, it's not entirely accurate. It has The Sympathizer as winning the PEN/Faulkner award, when in fact James Hannaham won it for Delicious Foods. It has Jennifer Egan's Goon Squad listed as a Man Booker nominee, when it was not eligible for that award (it would be now, they changed the criteria since then).

4. I'm not sure how many 'rankings' are released prior to the announcement of the Pulitzer, so we'll have to look for those rankings as we approach April of 2017. It's hard to tell what the FAW list looked like before the Pulitzer was announced, there are a few years that seem to have links to the announcement, but I can't really tell how that list relates to the "Best book of ...." list. For example, for 2015, the "Best Book of 2015" list (http://www.fictionawardwinners.com/bestbooks2015.cfm) has SYMPATHIZER second, behind LITTLE LIFE. But, there are no "points" listed for the rankings on that list, and this list includes, for SYMPATHIZER, the Pulitzer win and the (incorrect) PEN/Faulkner win. From that page, the URL to "Best Books of 2015 Honors by Book - Fiction Ranking (identified as updated January 18, 2016, so prior to Pulitzer announcement)(http://www.fictionawardwinners.com/best-fiction-books-of-2015-ranking.cfm) has SYMPATHIZER second, behind FATES AND FURIES, but lists all the same awards/accolades as provided on the "Best Books of 2015" list.

5. Several books over the past few years have had winners that were very popular books (Goldfinch, All the Light We Cannot See) and both lists had them in similar places (FAW had LIGHT 4th in it's pre-Pulitzer list, as did PPrize; FAW had Goldfinch 1st, as did PPrize; FAW had ORPHAN MASTER'S SON 4th in its pre-Pulitzer list, as did PPrize). Again, hard to tell how "pre-Pulitzer" the FAW list is. I am certain that the lists from about 2013 back on FAW are just post-hoc, not compiled before the Pulitzer. 6. So, let's be sure to check the FAW best of list prior to this year's Pulitzer announcement to see how the books are ranked at that time.
Likes: 4
jjose712 - Aug 18, 2016
@AlexKerner At least The queen of the night gets some love. Some of the most buzzed books of january-february are still living the hype (What belongs to you is a good example) but The queen of the night hype seemed fading
Likes: 1
jjose712 - Aug 18, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus I remember back in the day being in a book shop and reading the beginning of Everything is iluminated. I hated it and i didn't buy the book. Now i regret it a bit because it's out of print here and maybe my reaction wasn't accurate, who knows
Likes: 1
Guardiands - Aug 18, 2016
This is great! Thank you for linking it. I finally ordered Larose after seeing it on the top, and I've wanted it for a while.
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TELyles - Aug 17, 2016
@myram319 Keep an eye on this website as this year progresses. I don't know how the webmaster determines their rankings, but they will publish their "top 5-10" at the end of the year and the Pulitzer winner is typically included in their list.
Likes: 3
AlexKerner - Aug 17, 2016
http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a47736/best-books-to-read/

another list
owlettewise - Aug 16, 2016
@myram319 I would like to see the list for last year. Do you know how I can find that one? The most recent one beside this year is 2014.
Likes: 3
myram319 - Aug 16, 2016
This list was shared by someone last year. Here it is for 2016. It lists some of the books we have been discussing here, but also others that we might want to consider reading.

http://www.fictionawardwinners.com/
Likes: 2
BRAKiasaurus - Aug 10, 2016
Next Powell's Indiespensible is:

Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer
Has anyone read Foer's previous work? I am unfamiliar with it but know it has received a lot of acclaim and attention. Thoughts?
Likes: 2
myram319 - Aug 7, 2016
@ey814 Glad to hear you will be reading Underground Railroad as well as The Nix. The Nix was an engaging read for me. I found it quite relatable, especially the academia and online gaming parts. Had some laugh-out-loud moments. It might not be as literary as the others on my list, but definitely a great debut.
Likes: 2
ey814 - Aug 7, 2016
@myram319 Keep posting, don't delete! I don't really think I'm particularly good at reviewing books either... some folks who participate in the discussion are very insightful. When I finish a book, I often seek out the reviews for it from well-known book critics whose opinions mirror mine to see what I missed about the book or to help me articulate what I liked to didn't like.

I like your list. I'm reading The Sport of Kings now... about half way through it. I like it, but it's not going to top LaRose on my list. When I finish Sport of Kings, I'll sum up my thoughts (relying on the book critics I trust!). Then, it's definitely on to Underground Railroad. (I have an ARC of The Nix, so will put it in the queue after Underground Railroad.
Likes: 1
ey814 - Aug 7, 2016
@worldbefreeheel Good catch, I missed this entirely. I think the only people not surprised by Snow Child being a finalist were the jury members and the Pulitzer board members :-).
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ey814 - Aug 4, 2016
An interesting piece on a past Pulitzer winner:

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2016/08/the-literary-battle-for-nat-turners-legacy
Likes: 1
owlettewise - Aug 3, 2016
@myram319 Thanks!
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myram319 - Aug 3, 2016
@owlettewise @myram319 @BRAKiasaurus I had pre-ordered it from Acapella when I found out that he was scheduled there for an event in September.

http://www.acappellabooks.com/pages/books/156475/colson-whitehead/the-underground-railroad
Likes: 1
owlettewise - Aug 3, 2016
@myram319 @BRAKiasaurus Where did you find your signed copy?
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myram319 - Aug 3, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Glad to help. I enjoyed reading an ARC and only had a minor issue with it overall. While I don't like that the publisher increased the initial printing run from 75K to 200K, I had already decided that I liked it enough to purchase a signed copy for myself.
Likes: 1
BRAKiasaurus - Aug 3, 2016
@owlettewise @AlexKerner I now have both books in my possession! Intend to read them soon--will keep you posted!
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BRAKiasaurus - Aug 3, 2016
thanks for the heads up!!
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owlettewise - Aug 2, 2016
@myram319 That's exciting having the book available a month early. I was already looking forward to reading it, but now I'm psyched. Hope it lives up to the hype. Went out and got a copy today.
Likes: 1
Guardiands - Aug 2, 2016
I pre-ordered this a while back on Amazon. It still shows my receive date as September. I hope that changes. I'm very excited for this book (largely due to the buzz on here). I'd hate to get punished for my early order.
Likes: 2
worldbefreeheel - Aug 2, 2016
anyone heard anything about thenew eowyn ivey book?

to the Bright Edge of the World.

I remember being surprised by the Snow Chilfd a couple of years ago.
Likes: 1
BRAKiasaurus - Aug 2, 2016
Whoa. Buying today.
Likes: 1
jjose712 - Jul 28, 2016
@ey814 @jjose712 I suppose Work like any other is now the favourite to take the center for fiction prize, of course being nominated for the Booker didn't help The fishermen to win (the same way the NBA didn't help the turner house) but being nominated for a big award probably make being in the shortlist a sure shot
ey814 - Jul 28, 2016
From @PulitzerPrizes files, the jury letter (and a supplemental letter) on McPherson's ELBOW ROOM:

http://www.pulitzer.org/article/compassion-all-things-make-us-human-beings
ey814 - Jul 28, 2016
James Alan McPherson has died:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/books/james-alan-mcpherson-pulitzer-prize-winning-writer-dies-at-72.html?_r=0
Likes: 3
myram319 - Jul 27, 2016
@ey814 Thanks for the link. I've read both LaRose and Underground Railroad and although I'm unable to describe or review books well, they are both on my list of favorites for this year. Below is my list for those books discussed here.

1) LaRose

2) The Nix

3) Underground Railroad

4) The Sport of Kings

By the way, for some reason, my posts take a long time to appear on here, so some times I just delete them. This was posted on 7/27/2016. I'm sure it will be show up as "pending" for some time.
Likes: 1
ey814 - Jul 27, 2016
@ChuckRyan It is Mr. Eternity. Always hard to tell about humor. I take it the author was a runner-up for the Thurber Prize for his last book. We had a discussion about the fate of ironic/humorous books in the Pulitzers over the years. John Kennedy Toole's CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES was certainly comedic, but I don't think we identified any other Pulitzer winners that were out-and-out comedic/humor. Books with heavy irony haven't really done that well either in the Pulitzer... Heller and Vonnegut never got nominations, and I think we decided that, in addition to CONFEDERACY, the only real "ironic" novel that had won was ARROWSMITH by Sinclair Lewis, which has elements of irony and social commentary. Dystopian novels also haven't fared that well with the Pulitzer.
Likes: 2
ey814 - Jul 27, 2016
As @jjose712 noted, the Man Booker longlist is out:

2016 Man Booker Dozen

The 2016 longlist, or Man Booker ‘Dozen', of 13 novels, is:

Author (nationality) - Title (imprint)

Paul Beatty (US) - The Sellout (Oneworld)

J.M. Coetzee (South African-Australian) - The Schooldays of Jesus (Harvill Secker)

A.L. Kennedy (UK) - Serious Sweet (Jonathan Cape)

Deborah Levy (UK) - Hot Milk (Hamish Hamilton)

Graeme Macrae Burnet (UK) - His Bloody Project (Contraband)

Ian McGuire (UK) - The North Water (Scribner UK)

David Means (US) - Hystopia (Faber & Faber)

Wyl Menmuir (UK) -The Many (Salt)

Ottessa Moshfegh (US) - Eileen (Jonathan Cape)

Virginia Reeves (US) - Work Like Any Other (Scribner UK)

Elizabeth Strout (US) - My Name Is Lucy Barton (Viking)

David Szalay (Canada-UK) - All That Man Is (Jonathan Cape)

Madeleine Thien (Canada) - Do Not Say We Have Nothing (Granta Books)

Here are the eligibility criteria:

The Man Booker Prize awards any novel originally written in English and published in the UK in the year of the prize, regardless of the nationality of their author. The novel must be an original work in English (not a translation) and published by a registered UK imprint; self-published novels are not eligible. For more details on submitting to the prize, please visit our submissions page.

Because most of the books on the list by U.S. authors were published in the U.S. first (and in 2015 and not 2016), they're obviously no longer eligible for the Pulitzer (Strout, Beatty, Moshfegh). Interesting that THE SYMPATHIZER was not on the long list, despite having won the Pultizer, and that LAROSE and ZERO K didn't make the list. David Means is a prior NBCC finalist, and his book was published in the US in April of 2016 (and must have been published at the same time in the UK). Virginia Reeves WORK LIKE ANY OTHER is also a 2016 publication. It's here debut novel and described as:

"In this astonishingly accomplished, morally complicated, "exceptional and starkly beautiful debut" (Kevin Powers, National Book Award–nominated author of The Yellow Birds), a prideful electrician in 1920s rural Alabama struggles to overcome past sins and find peace after being sent to prison for manslaughter. Roscoe T Martin set his sights on a new type of power spreading at the start of the twentieth century: electricity. It became his training, his life's work. But when his wife, Marie, inherits her father's failing farm, Roscoe has to give up his livelihood, with great cost to his sense of self, his marriage, and his family. Realizing he might lose them all if he doesn't do something, he begins to use his skills as an electrician to siphon energy from the state, ushering in a period of bounty and happiness. Even the love of Marie and their child seem back within Roscoe's grasp. Then a young man working for the state power company stumbles on Roscoe's illegal lines and is electrocuted, and everything changes: Roscoe is arrested; the farm once more starts to deteriorate; and Marie abandons her husband, leaving him to face his twenty-year sentence alone. Now an unmoored Roscoe must carve out a place at Kilby Prison. Climbing the ranks of the incarcerated from dairy hand to librarian to "dog boy," an inmate who helps the guards track down escapees, he is ultimately forced to ask himself once more if his work is just that, or if the price of his crimes-for him and his family-is greater than he ever let himself believe."

Should be quite the boost for both Means' and Reeves' books.
Likes: 3
jjose712 - Jul 27, 2016
@ey814 We have the longlist http://themanbookerprize.com/fiction

I have to say that i find it a little dissapointing, practically all nominees are from Uk or from the USA. The list used to be way more diverse. There's nothing particulary surprising, indeed in the USA nominees there are some usual suspects (Eileen, The sellout) of last season of amercian awards.

Anyway the booker is a very bad predictor of the Pulitzer, but it's better for other awards. Last year A Little life and Bill Clegg's novel made the NBA longlist, and two years ago We are completely beside ourselves won the PEN/Faulkner.

I expect some of the books that missed the Booker longlist (Barskins, LaRose, What belongs to you) to made the NBA longlist
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ChuckRyan - Jul 26, 2016
Speaking of first editions...anyone know what is in store for us from Odyssey in August? Normally I try to read between the lines with the guests scheduled, but it seems to be tough to call...unless it is Mr. Eternity (which would not seem to fit within their "awards predictions/important writing choices).
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ey814 - Jul 26, 2016
https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2016/jul/26/man-booker-prize-2016-who-will-make-the-longlist
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ey814 - Jul 26, 2016
An interesting article on the @PulitzerPrizes website on the German scholar who has written extensively about the prizes, juries, etc. I found his volume on the fiction awards on a used-book seller and it was very interesting.

http://www.pulitzer.org/article/pulitzer-research-addict
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ey814 - Jul 26, 2016
@jfieds2 Must have been someone else who had read IMAGINE... (Anyone remember?). LAROSE is the third book in a loose trilogy that started with PLAGUE OF DOVES, then ROUND HOUSE, and finally LAROSE. ROUND HOUSE and LAROSE are more closely linked than the first one, IMHO... Including a shared character. They stand alone, but I actually think LAROSE is even more powerful if you've read ROUND HOUSE. They're both quick reads.
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ey814 - Jul 26, 2016
@jjose712 Thanks for the heads up on the Booker long list... I don't have a good idea of the "profile" for Booker nominees... But BARKSKINS would seem a possible contender. I wonder if LAROSE Is too 'American' in its setting and context for the Booker. Will look forward to seeing the list.
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AlexKerner - Jul 26, 2016
@ey814 yes those two books both because of their content but also the broad politics of prize giving (it's their turn etc) will put them near the top of list. It's a great interview.
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ey814 - Jul 26, 2016
I think Colson Whitehead's UNDERGROUND RAILROAD may be the only book that could rank above Erdrich's LAROSE for the 2017 Pulitzer. Haven't read it yet, so don't know, but it looks powerful. A piece in Publishers Weekly about the book:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/profiles/article/70987-the-underground-railroad-literally-underground-colson-whitehead.html
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jjose712 - Jul 26, 2016
@ey814 I read a couple of months ago Union Atlantic (i didn't know who Adam Haslett was till this year and suddenly i find him everywhere, to my surprise his first two books were published in Spain). It's a very interesting novel, that touch a lot of different themes (and father of the teen commit suicide so it's obvious he has an interest in mental illness).

Tomorrow the Booker will release their longlist and i'm frankly curious about the nominees. I don't think there's obvious choices. There are some big british names with well received books but in previous years some usual names (Sarah Waters, Kazuo Ishiguro) didn't made the cut (when everybody expect them to do it).

I read some list with possible candidates but i don't know if they are reliable. In terms of americans i think Proulx, Erdrich or Strout will be there, and if there's an american newbie my bet is on Garth Greenwell, seven month since the release of What belongs to you and the hype didn't dissapear which is usually a good sign to award season
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jfieds2 - Jul 26, 2016
@ey814 It wasn't be re IMAGINE. I've actually been a bit lazy on my reading this year. I've also somehow been choosing books that are unlikely to be in the running for the major awards. THE GIRLS, THE DEATH OF REX NHONGO, and SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF EASE AND PLENTY are the last three books that I've completed. They were are "good," but probably only "good." I could see myself recommending any of them under certain conditions, but I am not going to be shouting from the rooftops about any of them.

I have a pile of books from the Odyssey book shop first editions club that I haven't yet gotten to. I think I might go with BARKSKINS or maybe A DOUBTERS ALMANAC.

I also own LA ROSE, but realized that (much to my embarrassment) I didn't read ROUND HOUSE! Does anyone out there think I should before LA ROSE? I know that it isn't a sequel, but I wondered if it would be beneficial.
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ey814 - Jul 26, 2016
I read Adam Haslett's IMAGINE ME GONE. I think I recall that someone (@jfieds2 maybe?) posted that they'd read it, thought it was an important book, but didn't think it was going to be that strong of a contender for a major award. I agree with that (even if nobody on the thread actually said that!). I felt like I was reading A LITTLE LIFE again, though IMAGINE is about a family more than an individual. It doesn't give anything away to say that this book is about struggling with mental health issues, both individually and as a family. Like most families, my family has its experiences with depression and other mental illnesses, and they are difficult, to say the least. The book captures that (apparently Haslett's father had depression and took his life when Haslett was a teenager) well. It's difficult to read at times. I'm not sure why I'm not higher on it, it was well written and on an important topic. I'm glad I read it. I admire the book, much as I admired LITTLE LIFE. For one, I'm not sure the structure worked. It was written in first person perspective from the point of a different character each chapter. If I'm remembering right, so was Bill Clegg's book from last year (FAMILY). By and large that worked, but I didn't like it much in Clegg's book, and at times I didn't like it in this book. Haslett's first book of short stories was an NBCC finalist and a Puitzer finalist. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it show up on some of the "best of 2016' lists.
ey814 - Jul 26, 2016
Posted this in the 2016 discussion thread, but reposting it here since we've mainly moved to the 20017 discussion. Nguyen's experience writing The Sympathizer and winning the Pulitzer.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jul/26/viet-thanh-nguyen-winning-the-pulitzer-changed-the-value-of-my-book-and-myself?CMP=twt_books_b-gdnbooks
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jjose712 - Jul 23, 2016
@AlexKerner It looks it's another good year for debut novels, three of the novels they talk about are nominated for Center of fiction first novel award (The regional office is under attack, Here comes the sun and What belongs to you)
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owlettewise - Jul 19, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @AlexKerner Underground Airlines looks like it could be a good read. Greenlight Books has it as the July book club pick and, judging from past selections, they have good taste. Both of the books sound really compelling, and I can't wait to read them back to back.
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AlexKerner - Jul 18, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @AlexKerner yeah i just read the Slate review of Underground Airlines and I thought the same thing about comparing these very different alt histories.
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BRAKiasaurus - Jul 18, 2016
@AlexKerner Yeah, looking forward to this one. Actually, I picked up "Underground Airlines" (which, by the way, has a beautiful cover), both because I find the subject interesting and also because I'm curious how it will compare to "Underground Railroad"...not the same subject, per se, but a little bit of a "what if", almost a magical realism or alt. historical take on slavery.
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AlexKerner - Jul 17, 2016
i am sure some of you listen to some of the podcasts on Book Riot and I thought i'd highlight a recent one (http://bookriot.com/listen/book-riot-podcast-interviews-2016-halftime-show-lisa-lucas-kevin-nguyen/) that was a first half review with Lisa Lucas (executive director of the National Book Foundation, which does the NBA) and Kevin Nguyen (deputiy book editor at GQ). One book mentioned is The Sport of Kings (which shouldn't surprise anyone on this board) but of particular interest is the end of the show where they talk about most looked forward to book of the second half and both go into a gush about Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad...it's super effusive actually and it really appears to be a book that could overwhelm competition this year (which is saying a lot because this year has been and looks to continue being quite strong).
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jjose712 - Jul 16, 2016
@jjose712 @proseimprint It was more like 30 in the longlist, i mistake the Flaherty Dunnan with the Folio Prize
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jjose712 - Jul 15, 2016
@proseimprint Some years they chose novels that get a lot of attention (2012 with Billy Lynn's long halftime walk and The Yellow birds, or last year where most of the shortlist nominees were nominated to other awards) other years they fail to predict which will be the first novels that will get more buzz (like 2011 where The tiger's wife, Swamplandia or The art of fielding didn't get a nomination).

The longlist this year is not that long like some other years (i remember a year with more than 80 novels, every decent first novel got there) and there are some of the most buzzed first novels this year (Homegoing, The girls, Tuesday's nights in 1980, Here comes the sun, What belongs to you) but we'll how many of them will be in the shortlist
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BRAKiasaurus - Jul 13, 2016
@ey814 @BRAKiasaurus Yeah, I asked about "The Nix" (although I don't think anyone actually had read it...figured I'd try again), but I was also curious about "Behold the Dreamers". It sounds like a book this group might have had interest in. :)

Meanwhile, I'm finally reading (and about half way through) Matthew Thomas' "We Are Not Ourselves"...I had to put it down last year...for some reason, it put me in a weird head space. Powering through it now--very solid novel.

"Homegoing" will be next--and, even though I already picked up a copy at Book Passage, it looks like Indiespensible is already sending their next volume out: "Barkskins"!
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proseimprint - Jul 12, 2016
It's never to early for award season long list for the 2016 Center for Fiction First Novel was announced. A very impressive list not only this year but look at the previous winners. Also a good indicator for Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction which seems to always have a debut on their short list, by the way the last three winners of the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction have gone on to win the Pulitzer. I have read quite a few of these books, The Longest Night, The Mirror Thief and Dodgers were quite compelling. http://centerforfiction.org/awards/the-first-novel-prize/2016-first-novel-prize-long-list/?mc_cid=1f83bc3e6a&mc_eid=f88f856468
ey814 - Jul 12, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus I think you asked this before... have you read it yet? I saw an ARC available online and the story looked interesting, may order it.
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ey814 - Jul 12, 2016
@jfieds2 @ey814 I did finish it, and as much as I think someone like Delillo should have won a Pulitzer at some point in time, I would be very surprised and, even, disappointed, if he wins for Zero K. I'm glad I read it, though thought it was sort of a longer version of some of his recent novellas, like Point Omega. Several reviews I read of it likened it to White Noise, except lacking any humor to take the edge off, and that was true. The book takes itself very seriously, but it was hard to take the science seriously. LaRose was a far better and far more important book in my opinion.

I decided after Zero K I needed something light hearted, so I'm reading Richard Russo's Everybody's Fool, which is exactly like you think it would be and was a perfect antidote, if you will, to Zero K. When I'm done with that, I'm going to read Sport of Kings, I think.
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jfieds2 - Jul 12, 2016
@ey814 How is Zero K? It would be great for DeLillo to win, but **nothing** I read about the book interests me even a little bit. I am going to skip buying a copy -- my budget and apartment really can't handle too many more purchases! -- and I'll read it from the library or something if it gets an NBCC nod.
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BRAKiasaurus - Jul 10, 2016
Has anyone read this or "The Nix"?
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BRAKiasaurus - Jul 6, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus "Behold The Dreamers" sounds interesting--another debut with a major advance too.
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BRAKiasaurus - Jul 6, 2016
Preview, second half!

http://www.themillions.com/2016/07/most-anticipated-the-great-second-half-2016-book-preview.html
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ey814 - Jul 2, 2016
@CulinaryAssistant I went to a reading by Whitney Terrell, whose new book is The Good Lieutenant, which is also about the Iraq war (and also got a blurb from RIchard Ford!). It's about a woman in an officer role, so takes on gender issues in the military. I haven't read it yet, but plan to. Terrell was an embedded journalist in Iraq in 2006 and 2010. When I was talking with him after the reading, I asked about Klay and Powers' books, and he mentioned a new one by Matt Gallagher that he'd liked a lot, which must have been Youngblood. Definitely one I'll seek out, thanks!
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CulinaryAssistant - Jul 1, 2016
+1 to "Sport of Kings." Just beautiful. Am so glad other people are loving it as much as I did.

I'll throw a dark horse out there - "Youngblood" by Matt Gallagher. I recently finished it and it's quite moving. A novel about the Iraq war and written by a veteran, it got blurbs from Richard Ford and Tim O'Brien and got a fair amount of critical attention (though not as much as some others already mentioned here.) It's different than "Redeployment" and "Yellow Birds" in that it's set at the end of the war and is as much about the Iraqis as it is about the American soldiers. I mention it because I think the Pulitzer is the only of the major American literary prizes to not yet recognize a work from Iraq or Afghanistan, which is strange, given its history with honoring war literature. NBA - "Redeployment;" PEN/Faulkner - "Preparation for the Next Life;" PEN/Hemingway - "Yellow Birds;" National Book Critics Circle - "Billy Lynn." Might be missing some others. Maybe it's finally time for the Pulitzer?
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BRAKiasaurus - Jun 27, 2016
Half way through "The Girls" and about 50 pages from the end of "Sport of Kings". The former is fascinating and the writing superb. Really enjoying it, but agree with others that (so far), it is unlikely to get much traction with awards--definitely not the pulitzer.

"Sport of Kings", on the other hand, is simply wonderful. Deserves all the attention it has received. Really love it and won't be surprised if it is a finalist for the pulitzer.

Will start "Homegoing" later this week.
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Marybethking - Jun 26, 2016
@ey814 I'm on page 350 of 'Sport of Kings,' and I would advise that you read it at some point during the year. 'La Rose' was also a powerful story.
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BRAKiasaurus - Jun 23, 2016
@ey814 Hey there! Sorry to be so quiet, but I'm still working my way through "Sport of Kings". I'm almost done, but with the baby and work, it's been a tough one to complete. While I can't tell you which to read first, I can tell you that Sport of Kings is definitely worth your time this year. I can't say if it will win the Pulitzer, because I haven't read many published in this year yet, however I do think it a strong contender. Really love it!

I just got my copy of "Homegoing" from Indiespensibles yesterday, so I will probably read Emma Cline's novel and then "Homegoing" next. :)
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ey814 - Jun 23, 2016
Hi all. Anyone finished Homegoing yet? I finished LaRose by Louise Erdrich (her best yet, definitely going to be high on my personal Pulitzer prediction list). I've started Zero K by Don DeLillo, but wondering whether I read Homegoing or Sport of Kings after that. Recommendations?
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TELyles - Jun 12, 2016
@Marybethking I'm 1/4 of the way through LaRose. Great writing but a gut punch of a story (I have a 5 year old and a 3 year old). If anyone is looking for a copy, I believe Erdrich's store (Birchbark Books) in Minneapolis still has signed copies. Like Odyssey, they carefully wrap and ship their books in a box. The book arrived in pristine condition and the store is also including facsimile copies of the handwritten manuscript with every order. Nice memento.
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ey814 - Jun 12, 2016
@Marybethking I'm 60% of the way through it (wish I wasn't such a slow reader!) and think it's her best yet. If any book ends up higher on my personal prediction, it will have to be brilliant.
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BRAKiasaurus - Jun 10, 2016
I believe she is eligible, yes
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AlexKerner - Jun 10, 2016
so is Homegoing eligible...Gyasi grew up in the US and is likely a US citizen but I am not sure
AlexKerner - Jun 10, 2016
@ejcrowe42 @BRAKiasaurus agreed...felt like an appetizer for what will be an achievement filled literary career for Cline but wanted more.
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ejcrowe42 - Jun 9, 2016
@AlexKerner I have long delays between when I write comments and when they actually get posted. Not sure why, but i'm about halfway through this book now and it is amazing. So good. I mean, really really good! Definitely going to be a contender for most major literary prizes.
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jjose712 - Jun 7, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @jjose712 @WhiskeyMcTango It's very difficult to know what it's going to happen with Sport of kings (or other early praised novels like What belongs to you) in the award season. Score a nomination to the Man booker prize could help to keep the buzz intact till National Book award longlist

Sorry for the triple post, but it didn't let me post all in one (and when i start to write, even with all my english grammar mistakes, i have a tendency to long long ones, Garth Risk Hallberg' style)
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jjose712 - Jun 7, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @jjose712 @WhiskeyMcTango And about inflated price novels, i don't understand it. I know those novels receive a lot of early press, and generally do well on sales and with critics but there's always a sense of not living the hype. And in some cases (Sweetbitter) there's a risk of being overshadowed for big releases and other hyped novel (The girls).
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jjose712 - Jun 7, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @jjose712 @WhiskeyMcTango I was thinking more in the type of review (great and ambitious novel but with some flaws and ups and downs) than the price of the novels (i don't even know if Morgan received a big check). Of course The goldfinch recieved that kind of reviews and everybody knows what happened.
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BRAKiasaurus - Jun 6, 2016
@jjose712 @WhiskeyMcTango *vacillated between genre and literary ambitions
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BRAKiasaurus - Jun 6, 2016
@jjose712 @WhiskeyMcTango I will go ahead and vouch for "Sport of Kings". I agree that the hype doesn't always match the quality of the novel--although I'm not sure C. E. Morgan received an inflated price for her novel--however "Sport of Kings" is the real deal.

The problem with "City on Fire" is that, while it had some solid sections, it needed editing and Hallberg seemed unsure of what kind of novel he wanted it to be (it seemingly vacillated between genre but lacked the seamlessness of Chabon's work; for me, it seemed indecisive and the quality suffered as a result). But Knopf (if I recall correctly) inexplicably paid $2 million for that book...

"Sport of Kings" is brilliant and incredibly well-written. Everything follows the theme of slavery and racial tensions. The cruelty of, care of, and breeding of horses acts as a metaphor for race itself, for the awful brutality of slavery, for the attempt of one race to insist on dominion over another. From the opening sentence, everything centers on theme. I haven't read any read any reviews of this novel yet--I actually feel like this novel hasn't gotten enough hype, frankly (and she has a surprisingly slender set of stops on her book tour)--but I can't recommend it highly enough.
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jjose712 - Jun 5, 2016
@WhiskeyMcTango I find articles about The sport of Kings everywhere. In the first three months it was What belongs to you, but now it's all about The sport of kings. I don't know if that buzz will translate in awards, because most of the reviews i read remark exactly the same that they remarked about City on fire, great prose, memorable passages but some flaws.

Hopefully it will be translated to spanish soon, but you never know, some novels like City on fire are translated very fast (and i heard about the translation of The girls even before the release in english), other novels have to wait a bit (A little life will be published on september) and for some you have to wait an eternity (i really hope Ang Lee's film means that Billy Lynn's long halftime walk will be finally translated before the release of the film)
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DustySpines - Jun 3, 2016
If anyone is still looking for a first printing of The Sympathizer and lives in Boston area, there were some as of yesterday in the Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge 1256 Mass Ave, inside the front door to the right where they sell discounted overstock. The ones I perused did not have remainder stripes and were in fairly good condition.
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BRAKiasaurus - Jun 2, 2016
@WhiskeyMcTango Based on what few novels from this year I have read, it is easily the best.
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ejcrowe42 - Jun 2, 2016
@WhiskeyMcTango I loved this book. Lush prose, epic scope. Definite contender for literary prizes, IMO.
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ejcrowe42 - Jun 2, 2016
@AlexKerner I have just started reading this book but I'm only in the opening chapters of it. I haven't heard a lot of buzz just yet, but i expect this will be big.
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Marybethking - Jun 2, 2016
It's even better than Round House due to the strong link she creates with the title. It reminds me a lot of 'The Son,' in that it's a sweeping generational novel. There are times though that I wish she would focus on the fascinating historical details over the morose aptitude of her characters.
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myram319 - Jun 1, 2016
@Marybethking @ey814 @BRAKiasaurus I've read "LaRose" and am halfway through "Sport of Kings." I agree that these two may be likely contenders. At this point, I would favor LaRose over Sport.
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AlexKerner - Jun 1, 2016
i know it's way too early and I am being totally speculative...but I have a feeling that Colson Whitehead's new book The Underground Railroad is going to be a top contender. It's getting really huge buzz.
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ey814 - Jun 1, 2016
@Marybethking just started it. Gripping. She should have won for The Round House (IMHO), if LaRose keeps the pace from the first few chapters, I agree it will be hard to ignore for the Pulitzer.
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BRAKiasaurus - Jun 1, 2016
@Marybethking I haven't read it yet, but I'm looking forward to it. In the meantime, still working my way through "Sport of Kings" (about 70% of the way through). I will be very surprised if this isn't a finalist, at the very least. I highly recommend it to everyone on this forum.
WhiskeyMcTango - Jun 1, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Didn't see this before I posted my comment today. Of everything I've read in 2016, I haven't come across anything more like a Pulitzer finalist than this one.
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WhiskeyMcTango - Jun 1, 2016
Has anyone read The Sport of Kings? Not a perfect novel, but one I think will merit serious consideration for the prize.
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WhiskeyMcTango - Jun 1, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus I read an ARC last week. Good, but doesn't register as a Pulitzer candidate for me.
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Marybethking - Jun 1, 2016
I'm halfway through 'LaRose' and this could be Erdrich's year too.
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jjose712 - May 28, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus I remember reading articles about Sweetbitter. I think those so anticipated novels have some things against them once they get published. The expectations are so high that it's almost impossible to satisfy that expectations.

Something similar of what happened with City on fire, by the way, it was published here in Spain and the critics were really good (i bought it and expect to read it in the following months).

Anyway critics not always are coincident with our tastes, after two really good reads (Brief history of seven killings and Everything i never told you) i'm finding some trouble to enjoy Fates and furies (like i had trouble to enjoy Dept of speculation, but at least in Offill's case i understood what the critics saw in the novel)
JohnZ - May 28, 2016
@jfieds2 @JohnZ @owlettewise I understand, and take no offense. Given that the libretto for the prize-winning drama (or musical) is included in the book, we may ascertain that a "Winner of the Pulitzer Prize" seal appearing on the book would not be inaccurate. Consider Rent, which included the libretto as well as interviews and reminiscences from cast, crew, friends, and Mr. Larson's family. When Next to Normal was published, it came with the "Winner of the Pulitzer Prize" seal, and inside what one was offered to read was the libretto. The seal appears on copies of those plays which have also won the prize. If Hamilton: The Revolution was comprised solely of interviews, memos, draft pages, etc., and not the libretto on which the winning muscial is based, then perhaps it might be considered eligible for the prize. However, it's already won. Therefore, it isn't eligible a second time.
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ey814 - May 27, 2016
@jfieds2 @BRAKiasaurus What a cool story! Thanks for relating it.
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jfieds2 - May 25, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Sweetbitter definitely got buzz. The author apparently was a server at a higher-end restaurant (Union Square Cafe) and told an editor regular about her manuscript. Given how often he heard from servers/friends-of-friends, he was skeptical, but when he read it, in awe. From: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/01/arts/waitress-is-one-of-many-new-writers-with-big-book-deals.html?_r=0

"Mr. Gethers delivered his usual polite deflecting line: Have your agent send it to me.

"The book came in, and within 10 pages, I was going, ‘Oh, my God, this woman is an extraordinary talent,' " Mr. Gethers said. "One doesn't see a lot of first novels like this, or any novels like this."

I agree that it doesn't sound Pulitzer-worthy, and it is very much a book that looks to be set-up to "keep the lights on" at the publisher, so to speak -- potential mass appeal -- but it is also getting good reviews for the quality of writing. It's not simply "chick lit." FWIW, it got a starred review in PW.

Sometimes first novelists who borrow so directly from their lives as Danler does have trouble with the follow up, but perhaps she won't.
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jfieds2 - May 25, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @Marybethking FYI, BEA will "return" to NYC next year. If I am not mistaken, there is a tentative plan to hold it outside NYC every 5th year or so. There may be plans to have it in LA in 2021 or so. But for the most part, it will remain in NYC. As a side note: it used to be an industry-only show. Recently a portion of it, on certain days, was opened to the general public. I've heard that that part of the show is actually becoming more dominant, while the trade-to-trade is still, at least somewhat, important.
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BRAKiasaurus - May 25, 2016
@Marybethking @BRAKiasaurus Book Expo of America, I believe :) It's an annual (or semi-annual?) convention where publishers and sellers convene to discuss, show off, and promote the big books for the new year.

It used to be in New York, but I believe they've moved to Chicago this year.
Marybethking - May 25, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus what does BEA stand for?
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BRAKiasaurus - May 24, 2016
"Sweetbitter", another debut novel with some buzz (but which sounds unlikely to be a Pulitzer contender) comes out today. Anyone read it?
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BRAKiasaurus - May 23, 2016
@AlexKerner @jfieds2 @BRAKiasaurus Good to know! Thanks!

I couldn't tell from the reviews whether it would be a novel along the lines of Susan Choi's masterful (pulitzer finalist) "American Woman" which takes its inspiration from the Patty Hearst kidnapping...or if it was closer to a lurid suspense novel. Sounds like it may well be the former?
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AlexKerner - May 22, 2016
@jfieds2 @BRAKiasaurus i got an ARC for it and am half way through...it is very good writing and the story is fascinating and unique angle...that said it is only 220 some pages and feels like it could have been weightier ...will keep people posted
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ejcrowe42 - May 22, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus It's a good and very interesting read. Not so literary, IMO, but I have a coworker who thinks it's quite literary. I read about half of it and I hope to get around to finishing it one day. It's certainly very splashy and buzz-y, but it's nowhere near the calibre of Random House's other major debut this summer, HOMEGOING.
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jfieds2 - May 20, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Haven't read it, but it's definitely on my radar. I hear it was big at BEA. It's another big advance debut, so skepticism is warranted, but Amazons has blurbs from Jennifer Egan and Richard Ford. That says something, as I don't think either one was one of her teachers. (Sometimes you see debuts lauded by famous writer/teachers who taught the author.) I take blurbs for debuts a bit more seriously than those for established writers, since at that point it sometimes becomes a "you scratch my back..." game...
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BRAKiasaurus - May 20, 2016
Has anyone read "The Girls" by Emma Cline? I think it is another big buzz debut novel, but I'm not entirely clear if it's literary or otherwise? Anyway, curious about this forum's thoughts. :)

Thanks!
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BRAKiasaurus - May 18, 2016
@grahammyers @BRAKiasaurus agree!
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grahammyers - May 17, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus that Colson Whitehead novel looks amazing! i can't wait for that one.
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BRAKiasaurus - May 16, 2016
Quiet around here! But the BEA happened...last week, i believe? Anyway, here are some of the big takeaways:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bea/article/70352-bea-2016-books-by-whitehead-patchett-among-show-s-biggest.html
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jfieds2 - May 16, 2016
@JohnZ I don't want to split hairs here, but it seemed to me that @owlettewise was asking whether the **book** in question would be "eligible" for a 2017 non-fiction Pulitzer. I didn't answer that question; I simply replied that it wouldn't win. It may, in fact, be "eligible," but I stand my by assertion that it won't win a 2017 in non-fiction. To your point: I would think that in subsequent printings the publisher will add "winner of the Pulitzer Prize" under Miranda's name. This would be accurate. Saying the book itself won the Prize, in my opinion, would not be. In the case of Anna in the Tropics, it seems that the play was published without the kind of extraneous material that is included in this Hamilton volume. In that case, boldly saying that the published work won the prize would be accurate. I am splitting hairs, but I think in a very fair way.
JohnZ - May 15, 2016
@jfieds2 @owlettewise @tpmahne Actually, Mr. Miranda's book can be considered as winning the Pulitzer, since it contains the libretto (or play) on which the musical is based. Whenever a winner for Drama is published, it comes with the seal "Winner of the Pulitzer Prize," just like books that have won in other categories. The Pulitzer jury that voted Anna in the Tropics as its year's winner in Drama did so solely on the strength and beauty of Mr. Cruz's script; they hadn't seen the play itself.
tpmahne - May 13, 2016
@jfieds2 @owlettewise @tpmahne I agree that this particular book wouldn't be in consideration for next year's award. It is, as far as I know, the first complete printing of the script of the play. It's more than a tie-in, souvenir sort of thing, despite the "coffee table" approach of including lots of pictures and other things. The main reason it wouldn't be a candidate in the non-fiction category, however, is that it is a work of drama -- not direct history or biography. I don't believe any other historically based dramas, say along the lines of Bolt's "A Man for All Seasons," have ever been considered, outside of the drama category.

The whole drama category does raise a curious question. The award explicitly goes to a work that is staged in the U.S. in that award's year. While the award goes to the playwright (or the playwright, composer and lyricists, in the case of a musical), I'm not sure if the script must actually have been published before the Pulitzer is awarded. If that is the case, then this admittedly marketing driven, hyped up book would be the first printing of the Pulitzer Prize winning script.

@JohnZ, thanks for the earlier clarification. I remembered Chernow had won a Pulitzer, forgot it was for his Washington bio. (He really deserved for some of his business tycoon bios -- they're really well done.)
jfieds2 - May 12, 2016
@owlettewise @tpmahne No. This is most assuredly **not** something that would win a non-fiction Pulitzer. It is just a "tie-in" with the musical. Pulitzers for non fiction are focused mostly on books of scholarship or in some cases memoir. This is simply a book about the musical. There is nothing wrong with that, but it's not in the running.
Likes: 2
ejcrowe42 - May 10, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @ChuckRyan

Just early enough to get your copy to us before the author event, and early enough to place an order for a first printing, in case we end up getting second printings on a re-order, for whatever reason.
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BRAKiasaurus - May 10, 2016
Has anyone read the forthcoming debut "The Nix"? It is a big novel that sounds like it spans America and the last century.
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BRAKiasaurus - May 10, 2016
@ejcrowe42 @BRAKiasaurus @ChuckRyan Cool! I'll let you know, but that's pretty rad that Odyssey is willing to do that. When would I need to decide by?
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ey814 - May 9, 2016
A nice piece from the pullitzer.org website, part of a Pulitzer 100 celebration series:

http://www.pulitzer.org/article/bridge-too-far-not-when-its-good-wilders-novel
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owlettewise - May 9, 2016
@tpmahne I'm not too familiar with the non-fiction Pulitzer, but would Miranda's book be eligible for the the 2017 Pulitzer or is it not the type of book they usually go for? I bought the book since it isn't likely I'll be seeing the play anytime soon, not until it starts traveling at least.
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ejcrowe42 - May 8, 2016
@grahammyers @BRAKiasaurus That review was amazing. It articulated some of the small frustrations I had with the book, but it's clear that while the novel isn't perfect, it is tremendous nonetheless. It feels very of our time, but without feeling like it is dated in any way.
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ejcrowe42 - May 8, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @ChuckRyan

If the author doesn't go to the west coast, I'd be happy to get your copy of All the Living signed for you here at Odyssey if you pre-order the book for us. We do this pretty regularly for our FEC customers. We ask for extra shipping to cover insuring the package, since the books are worth more when we're shipping back the signed copies and we'd hate for something to get damaged in transit.
Likes: 1
ey814 - May 8, 2016
@JohnZ @BRAKiasaurus I missed the new one by Lee Martin, though I knew if someone would pick up on it, it would be you! I feel like there is a barrage of potentially-great books coming out all at once. Russo is also one of my favorites, looking forward to reading Everybody's Fool. It's getting good reviews. Now, to go find an ARC of Late One Night for my collection!
Likes: 3
JohnZ - May 8, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Oops. I just saw someone else mentioned Lydia Millet. In the past couple of weeks, however, there have been new books published by wonderful authors:

Everybody's Fool, Richard Russo (Pulitzer winner)

Late One Night, Lee Martin (Pulitzer Finalist)

I've started Late One Night. It's very good, and offers the kind of character description and sense of mystery that may be found in Lee's Pulitzer finalist, The Bright Forever.

I also have Everybody's Fool, but I want to go back to Nobody's Fool so it's fresh in my mind before I continue with the sequel. I'm looking forward to it. Mr. Russo has never disappointed me. I heard he also has another story collection coming out next year.
Likes: 1
JohnZ - May 8, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Lydia Millet (Pulitzer finalist for Love In Infant Monkeys) also has a new novel out.
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JohnZ - May 8, 2016
@tpmahne Mr. Chernow didn't win a Pulitzer for his Hamilton biography. He did, however, win a Pulitzer for his Washington biography. While I don't live in New York, and therefore cannot see the Hamilton the Musical, I do have Mr. Miranda's libretto. It really is well-written and inventive. And it's pretty clear, just from reading it, why it won a Pulitzer.
Pending
ChuckRyan - May 7, 2016
Speaking of off-topic...Radiohead announced tomorrow the 8th will be the day for the new release of the still untitled 9th album....I'm in bunches! I will say, however, the reports this album will sound " like nothing you've ever heard" still ring untrue after listening to both leaked songs...this is not a bad thing at all, just maybe a little hyperbolic.

They also dropped another video of a new song on the album...which they report will have at least one song from almost each era it seems...from The Bends up to In Rainbows, although this is about par for the course for them. Likely any song released from the past will sound different than we may have heard on b-sides or live.

This video is quite unnerving (in general theme but also has Thom suffered from Bell's palsy) as well as directed by PTA, and what I'd probably call the exact antithesis of Burn the Witch, both musically and visually.

https://youtu.be/TTAU7lLDZYU

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BRAKiasaurus - May 6, 2016
@ChuckRyan Agree...still kinda hoping she makes her way to the west coast, so that I can get my copy of All the Living signed as well. :)
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tpmahne - May 5, 2016
Perhaps not directly on topic, but readers here will likely be interested in this from the NYT this week on the sold-out success of Lin Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton: The Revolution," on the heels of the musical winning the drama Pulitzer, and then receiving a record-breaking number of Tony Awards. The story also notes the related upswing in interest in Ron Chernow's Pulitzer-winning bio, as well.

Glad I have 1sts of both. It will be interesting to see where prices for this go after the immediacy of the show's awards streak wraps up.

Here's the link to the Times story, including info on the printing runs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/04/books/hamilton-the-revolution-races-out-of-bookstores-echoing-the-musicals-success.html?ref=theater
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BRAKiasaurus - May 4, 2016
@Scott S @BRAKiasaurus Knew I forgot a couple. Quite the lineup. Now, the question...how do they choose this date? Would these have been released at this time even if there wasn't an election? These strike me as fall releases (generally).
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ChuckRyan - May 4, 2016
Signed first edition coming June from Odyssey..not too late to sign up for that...seems the odds on favourite to be one of the most "meaningful" signed copies to possess of the year.
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Scott S - May 4, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Lydia Millet's new novel Sweet Lamb of Heaven was also released yesterday.
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grahammyers - May 4, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus it just got reviewed by Kathryn Schulz in The New Yorker http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/09/a-sweeping-novel-about-race-in-america
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Scott S - May 3, 2016
Don't forget Russo! And I love R A D I O H E A D!
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BRAKiasaurus - May 3, 2016
I will be surprised if I read an American novel better than Morgan's. It's still early, and I haven't finished it yet, but it's a strong novel.
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grahammyers - May 3, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus wonder if any of them will be prize relevant?
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BRAKiasaurus - May 3, 2016
Today seems like an oddly strong May release day--not complaining! This is awesome! Don Delillo, Jennifer haigh, Adam Haslett, C E Morgan! Any I am missing?

(Oh and as if that weren't enough, looks like Radiohead is nearing an album release, haha!)
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jfieds2 - May 3, 2016
@ejcrowe42 I have a galley of Mischling. With your endorsement, I'll get to it sooner than I planned. (I always try to get through galleys that I am gifted before pub date. With Konar being an Oct pub, I might have held off a bit longer, but I like talking up great books in advance!)
ey814 - May 3, 2016
@owlettewise @ey814 @ejcrowe42 @stealth80 Yes, you're probably exactly right. With regard to buying one, keeping one shrink wrapped... for collectors, it's all about condition, condition, condition, and if you're particularly compulsive and you have enough money, you're essentially keeping one in pristine condition. I am compulsive, but not that much (I open mine immediately to look at them, etc.) nor do I have that much money!
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ejcrowe42 - May 2, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @owlettewise

Yeah, I roll my eyes every time i read of an advance that large for an untried writer. (Even for a writer with a track record, I roll my eyes!). City On Fire wasn't the book for me, but I know a number of people who read it.

And I checked out POwell's website, and their next book IS the Yaa Gyasi book, Homegoing, which is as fine a book as any I've read in the past year. So I'm still rolling my eyes that the author would get that large of an advance, but I think she's produced a tremenduosly accomplished novel. This one is going to be all over the prize lists and Best Of lists.
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BRAKiasaurus - May 2, 2016
@ejcrowe42 @BRAKiasaurus @owlettewise Well, it happened with "City on Fire"--I believe that fetched 2 million--and it was, sadly, largely a disappointment with some wonderfully-written sections sprinkled in. Not worth 2 million, in any case. I wonder, actually, if they made back their investment on that book? Hallberg was everywhere for awhile, but I literally know no one outside of (a mere handful of) my New York friends who read it.

In any case, it does often mean that there is something of note in those pages! And so, I too am curious.
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BNS - May 1, 2016
Totally agree about Commonwealth. Quiet, but very good. I'll have to read up on the Konar novel. I hadn't heard of it until your posting. Your description makes it seem like one I need to read ASAP!
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owlettewise - May 1, 2016
@ey814 @myram319 I've bought a few signed books from Odyssey and love that they wrap them. Saves me the trouble and I can read it without worrying too much about damaging the cover.
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owlettewise - May 1, 2016
@ey814 @ejcrowe42 @stealth80 @owlettewise I imagine they do tipped in versions if it's really difficult to get a hold of the author. I know it was mentioned earlier on this board that the author of BARKSKINS wasn't doing a lot of signings.

Why would someone buy two of the same book just to leave the other shrinkwrapped?
ejcrowe42 - May 1, 2016
@ey814 @ejcrowe42 @stealth80 @owlettewise If I had the means and the space, I might do the same thing as your friend.

My guess about the signed book vs tipped in is a factor of the author as much as anything. It's much easier to sign sheets, and it's certainly less expensive for a publisher to ship sheets to an author to be signed than to fly an author to a location. Though the Powell's club is so huge in terms of sales, not to mention Seattle has such a vibrant author event scene, that I suspect that most publishers would be only too happy to send their authors there. So I'm leaning towards more its being the author's call. Proulx isn't touring much, and from what I understand, isn't doing public signings. Bookstores where she's appearing are either selling pre-signed stock or books that have the tipped-in pages.
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ey814 - May 1, 2016
@ejcrowe42 @ey814 @stealth80 @owlettewise The vast majority are just signed first editions. Not sure how they decide what they re going to add a tipped-in page on. I know someone who has two subscriptions to Indiespensible, opens one and leaves the second sealed in the shrink wrap!
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ey814 - May 1, 2016
@ChuckRyan Not annoying. Collectors helping collectors!

From the Odyssey First Editions Club website (http://www.odysseybks.com/first-editions-club-faq#13)

How do I sign up for the First Editions Club?Please call us at 413.534.7307. We can take your registration over the phone, or send you a brochure.
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ey814 - May 1, 2016
@myram319 @owlettewise I will say that I appreciate Odyssey putting the dustjacket's into Brodart protective covers. The other two clubs I belong to do not do that, so I have to do so... it adds a bit of class to what is bought as a collectible book, most likely.
Likes: 5
ejcrowe42 - May 1, 2016
I'm about halfway through Ann Patchett's book, Commonwealth, which I picked up on my trip to NYC last week to visit various publishers. Though I didn't think the book description sounded particularly interesting, I'm a fan of her work in general and started in on the train coming home. It's really terrific. A quiet book over all, but about family relationships and dynamics across two generations and two marriages.

Last week, I also finished Mischlingby Affinity Konar, which is being published by Lee Boudreaux's imprint in September. It's pretty amazing, folks. About as substantive a subject as one can find, but with fresh prose and a serious literary bent. It's gorgeous. Major prize contender for award season, I predict.
Likes: 1
ejcrowe42 - May 1, 2016
@ey814 @stealth80 @owlettewise This conversation is so interesting to me. Though I'm a member of Indiespensable myself, I don't always open the books. So it came as a complete surprise to me last month when I learned from Simon & Schuster that Powell's sometimes uses tipped-in pages for their signatures, and that they'd be doing just that for the forthcoming Annie Proulx book this summer. I was a little shocked, as I'd always just assumed that the Powell's selections were signed firsts. Shows what I get for assuming. ;-)
ejcrowe42 - May 1, 2016
@grahammyers I've read much of it and was impressed with what I read. Unfortunately, it's basically part of my job description to let good books remain unfinished, but I read enough of this book to feel comfortable picking it for my store's signed first edition club.
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ejcrowe42 - May 1, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @owlettewise Is it Yaa Gyasi's book? I'm curious about that.
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ChuckRyan - May 1, 2016
I hope this isn't the most terribly annoying question...where does one go to join the Odyssey Book Club? Are we discussing live in-person clubs? Online clubs I had assumed but the Odyssey I found through Google appears to meet in person?
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ey814 - May 1, 2016
I would note that not every collector agrees with my assessment and some may consider the British edition as the true first (if it is confirmed that it was release earlier... the amazon.uk site has a May 10 release as well, and yet, I am sitting looking at my recently purchased copy!). That is the prerogative of collectors... they can collect what they want and, to a large degree, tinker with the rules to the degree they want. No collector will consider a 10th printing a 'true first', but when considering issues like state/variant/country of origin, there is room for individual preferences.
Likes: 5
ey814 - May 1, 2016
One aspect of the "what is the true first edition" conundrum that we've discussed various times on this discussion board does not involve states or variants or tipped-in pages, but what is the "true" first when the book is published outside the U.S. first. This, even more than the states/variants/tipped-in pages issue seems to me to be a matter of collector taste, but with some broadly drawn boundaries. I bring this up because I was in London this past week and picked up a first British Edition of Louise Erdrich's LaRose, which, if Amazon.com is correct, has a May 10 U.S. release date. So, the British edition was on the shelf two weeks before the U.S. Edition hits the shelves.

Now, does that make it the "true" first? The copyright page is no help. It states:

First Published in the U.S. by HarperCollins in 2016

First Published in Great Britain by Corsair in 2016

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

No statement of First British Edition or similar identifiers.

I'll weigh in with my opinion in a moment. First, come context. In 2013, The Goldfinch won the Pulitzer. In looking at publication dates, it was found that the Dutch edition (in Dutch, not English) was published a full month before either the U.S. or UK English editions. It is highly unusual (almost never heard of, in fact) for a non-English language version of a U.S. literary trade book to be published even at the same time as the English-language version. So, it was not only one month earlier, but it seemed purposeful... in that a third of the novel is set in Amsterdam. I agreed with others who concluded that, in this case, the Dutch version was the 'true" first edition. (Tom does a nice job of detailing the issues on the description of The Goldfinch on PPrize.com).

There is also the clear case of Carol Shields' The Stone Diaries, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1995. The UK and Canadian versions were published a full year (1993) before the U.S. edition (1994), but the book wasn't eliglble for the Pulitzer until it was published in the U.S. in 1994. Thus, the UK and Canadian (both have the same cover, virtually same book, so no distinction between either as the 'true' first) are the first editions. Nothing in Stone Diaries changed, so while most of us who collect Pulitzer also want the first U.S. Edition, it does seem clear that it's a first U.S. edition and not a true first edition.

Then there is the slightly less clear case of Katherine Anne Porter's Collected Stories, which won the Pulitzer. The UK edition, like Stone Diaries, was published in 1964, a year ahead of the U.S. edition (1965). In fact, the U.S. Edition states "First American Edition." Slam dunk, right... the UK edition must be the true first. But, the U.S. edition contained four short stories that had not previously appeared in a collection (and that were not in the UK edition). It was that edition that won the Pulitzer, and it isn't the same as the UK edition, thus I (and others) hold the U.S. edition as the 'true' first for the book that won the Pulitzer.

Okay, so what do I think about LaRose? Unless something compels me to change my view, I will consider the U.S. edition to be the true first. Why? Part of it is that a week or two difference in when a book hits the shelves between the U.S. or Canada or the UK (typically the first English language versions available) seems mostly a matter of marketing and publishers schedules and not a printing issue. LaRose may hit the shelves in the U.S. on May 10, but you can bet your bottom dollar there are boxes of already printed, bound, and dust jacketed copies sitting right now in warehouses awaiting shipping to booksellers or in the inventory of booksellers awaiting the official release date. For all I know, the bookseller in the UK at which I found my copy jumped the gun... I did not see it in three other large book chains in London. Second, I tend to follow the flag. That is, unless there is a compelling reason that a non U.S. Edition was intended to be publiished first (Goldfinch) or a non-US edition was published well in advance of the same publication in the US (Stone Diaries), I consider the first U.S. edition of an American authors book the "true first." If it were a British author and the U.S. edition came out a week or two ahead of the US, I'd call the British edition the 'true first."

Still, I'm very pleased with my first British edition.
Likes: 2
ey814 - May 1, 2016
@BNS @owlettewise I belong to Odyssey, and think it is great, but also Book Passage (in San Francisco), which I also am very pleased with.
GeorgeKing1 - May 1, 2016
@Scott S @jjose712 @ey814 @BRAKiasaurus In my opinion "The Son" should have won the Pulitzer over "The Goldfinch
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Guardiands - Apr 29, 2016
I've only done Odyssey, but I love it.
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myram319 - Apr 29, 2016
@owlettewise I switched from Warwick's to Odyssey and have stayed there. I like their picks (including the special monthly offers). I also like that the books have a protective cover and the way they are packaged and shipped. Customer service is outstanding!
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BNS - Apr 29, 2016
Greenlight and Odyssey, I think, are the best. They both have a strong record of excellent choices.
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owlettewise - Apr 29, 2016
@ey814 Thank you for clearing that up because I was beginning to worry about several of the books on my shelf. I'm a member of a book club that's based in the UK and they're similar to Powell's in that some of the books have a signature page with their name on it. Sometimes their name is on the title page too. I absolutely love their "variants" for the simple reason that not only are they signed, but some of them have sprayed edges or alternate covers that are not UK covers, special first editions essentially. Their SPORT OF KINGS WILL BE NUMBERED. It's good to know that their difference doesn't negate their first edition status.

It's great that you collect each variant. I wish I could, but school books have to take priority. For now, I'm just picking up the version of books I like the most. I am making an exception for EVERYONE BRAVE IS FORGIVEN because while I like the U.S. cover more, the special edition from Goldsboro has sprayed edges and a page marker. How's that for different? I like first editions with a little something extra.

Now to find the time to read them all. There used to be a time when I had read everything on my shelf twice. Working through DOUBTER'S ALMANAC now.
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ey814 - Apr 29, 2016
@stealth80 @owlettewise Just another comment on the issue of first edition, first printings. To a large degree, if the copyright page confirms that the book is a first printing (and it is not a book club edition that has used the plates from the original publisher), then it is a first printing. There are "variants" on first edition, first printing, and changes in "states." I mentioned that I think signed, tipped-in first printings are just variants on the first edition, and that the three versions of the Tinkers first printings are variants. Another Pulitzer variant is the first edition, first printing of Junot Diaz's WONDERFUL LIFE OF OSCAR WAO, which has two variants, one with a black and white end band, one with a red and white end band. Although there is no confirmation, it appears that the black and white end band versions are the first state, the red and white second state... but still both versions are "first edition, first printings." There's also a first state/second state of the early winner, Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington, which involves a flying number in the 1921 date on the copyright page.

Note that some of the Oprah picks or some of the signed Barnes and Noble books have had "first edition" and a full number line, but they also have a different ISBN number and were clearly printed well after the true first edition.
Likes: 4
ey814 - Apr 29, 2016
@stealth80 @owlettewise Ah, it's the age old problem in book collecting... what is a "true first" is often in the eye of the beholder! The vast majority, like 90% since I've been a member, of the Indiespensible selections are signed copies of the first edition, first printing, just put into a slipcase. They are signed on the title page. A few times Powell's will add an extra "limited edition" page. Here are some of the comments from the page you mentioned:

"I had a sub to Indiespensable until I realized many of the selections aren't first editions (which doesn't seem to hurt the asking prices on the resale markets.).

Indiespensables are specious: A first edition doesn't vary in time or form from the initial print run.

The first edition of Tinkers was a paperback.

Add-in signed pages, as are found in Indiespensable books (usually two or more pages), violate first edition imprimaturs.

(By the way, signed add-in pages means the author never held or touched the book, but merely signed loose sheets in another location that were later shipped to publisher and added to the book. Powell's has a profit motivation for that.)"

Yes, signed tipped in pages are signed in bulk by the author and 'tipped in" during binding. There are lots of forms of signed, tipped in versions, from just an extra FFEP (the front end page), to something indicating that the author signed a limited number, to a page with an actual number. In my personal opinion, these are every bit as much 'first edition, first printings" as are the regularly-issued, unsigned first editions. They are certainly bound at the same time, always released at the same time, etc. I consider them a variant of the first edition, first printing. And, despite not being handled by the author, the signed-tipped in versions do have the authors signature on them. If one goes down the rabbit-hole of true first printing, what argument keeps the Advance Reading Copy from being the only "true" first edition? Virtually every dealer I've seen (in fact, I think every dealer) sells tipped-in pages as first edition, first printings, including the Indiespensible versions. Each collector is allowed to come to her or his own decision about what she/he considers the "first edition" for their tastes, but I think the field, in general, sees tipped-in editions as just a variant of the first edition... neither ahead nor behind of the trade 1st edition.

As for Tinkers, here's what Tom has on the PPrize description:

The publisher has confirmed that there were softcover and hardcover first editions that were published simultaneously. There were approximately 3,500 softcover copies in the first printing, and probably 1,250 hardcovers. Book Passage Bookstore orderd 250 hardcovers for their first edition club members from a printing that they believed to be 500 copies. The other 250 of these copies were likely distributed to other book stores in the west coast. There was also another issue of the hardcover produced for Powell's Books. The Powell's hardcovers were issued with a special numbered page as part of their "Indiespensable" subscribers series. The special page indicates that there were 750 of these books printed. It is not at all clear which hardcover issue preceeds the other. The publisher maintains that they all were published at the same time; and this is supported by the fact that the copyright page number lines are identical on both issues.

I consider all three (paperback, Powell's edition, Book Passage edition) 'true' firsts, so I own one of each for my collection.
Likes: 2
BRAKiasaurus - Apr 29, 2016
I think it likely changes book-by-book, honestly. I have seen some indiespensible editions with "indiespensible" pages and have seen some simply signed on the author page. But the market seems to contradict (perhaps out of ignorance?) this commenter's premise. The value of the first edition "Tinkers" is, I believe, lower than the 750 indiespensible copies. This is likely due to scarcity (they are in fact more scarce than the indisputable firsts).

In any case, this does not trouble me very much. I bought a tipped-in first of Delillo's novel Zero K, and I have a (slightly odd hardcover) ARC of Underworld--the latter not a true first but possibly more valuable ultimately. The copy of Zero K is a first edition.

I don't know...anyone else have thoughts on this? (And again, it is possible we are all correct, as they seem to change their approach book-to-book.)
Likes: 3
owlettewise - Apr 28, 2016
Does anyone have any recommendations for book of the month clubs? I love the idea of having something sent to me since I rarely have time to search on my own because of school. I signed up for Indiespensable since its available. I figured it would be easier to cancel than sign up, but I'm still trying to finalize a choice or two. The ones I've found all seem really good, but there's not much to go on when distinguishing one from the other. Each has picked some award winners and all the books look great. Indiespensable is the most different since they include extras. So far I've found

Politics & Prose

Harvard

Odyssey

Book Passage

Alabama Booksmith

Indispensable

and Parnasus.

Any help is much appreciated.
Likes: 1
owlettewise - Apr 28, 2016
@stealth80 I'd be interested to know this too. The comments mention that they've recently switched to the special signature page, but for DOUBTER'S ALMANAC, the book after this post, and CITY ON FIRE, which came out before, the authors signed on the title page. I looked at their picks from 2015 and the book from July also has the Indiespensable page. It's really inconsistent and takes away from the value of the book for me. I signed up anyway since Powell's generally gets rave reviews and it's not every time, but I'd be interested in some clarification on this too. Might have to ask Powell's about it.
Guardiands - Apr 28, 2016
Thanks! I had to pull the trigger on this one.
Likes: 1
owlettewise - Apr 28, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus You're welcome. Seven figures for a debut author who was not previously famous for other reasons? I've never heard of such a thing. My interest was peaked before, but now I'm really intrigued. I'd love to hear the story behind the story. The publisher must have real confidence in her work.
Likes: 1
stealth80 - Apr 28, 2016
@owlettewise I am curious about opinions from this forum about the sentiment expressed at this link (in the comments) that Powell's Indiespensible editions are no longer true first printings:

http://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/2016/02/powells-books-vol-57.html
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 28, 2016
@owlettewise By the way, their next book is a debut that, if I'm not mistaken, sold for 7 figures...
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 28, 2016
@owlettewise Yep, I got on that very quickly! I've been waiting for it to reopen...thanks for posting this!
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owlettewise - Apr 28, 2016
Hi,

Not sure if anyone's interested, but Indiespensable subscriptions are now open. I hear they disappear fast, so thought I'd mention it. I've been visiting this board on and off for a while so this is my hello.

https://www.powells.com/indiespensable
Likes: 1
BRAKiasaurus - Apr 28, 2016
I was just looking at this author last night (realized she wrote Mrs. Kimble). Very cool!

(Got my signed Delillo yesterday.)
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grahammyers - Apr 28, 2016
Jennifer Haigh's 'Heat and Light' just got a rave review in the NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/28/books/review-with-heat-and-light-jennifer-haigh-drills-below-the-surface.html
ey814 - Apr 28, 2016
@MartinJones1 Hi Martin! I'm actually sitting in the Paddington Hilton in London at the moment, been here for a few days for meetings, head home Saturday, but went to Foyles and Waterstones yesterday to score 1st British editions of THE SYMPATHIZER and FORTUNE SMILES. Was lucky to find a first British edition of THE SYMPATHIZER, have only seen the one I bought. The DJ is exactly the same as the US edition, which is too bad because in my opinion, the British DJs are often nicer. Happy collecting! Mike
Likes: 2
zacharybloomzooey - Apr 28, 2016
@jfieds2 @Scott S The same thing happened a few years ago with the biography of Malcolm X. It was entered into the Biography category, but the board moved it to History. The board has the power to do it, but once it's moved to another category, it can't win the former, I guess.
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zacharybloomzooey - Apr 28, 2016
@grahammyers Starting it. I will share my thoughts on it quite soon.
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MartinJones1 MartinJones1Apr 27, 2016
Thanks for this excellent info source. I'm a collector in London, UK and try to buy the Pulitzer, NBA and NBCC winners, though of course some get too expensive! Thumbs up for the Odyssey Book Club who have done an amazing job since I joined 4 or 5 years ago. Postage costs to UK are a bit of a nightmare but it is such a joy to receive each shipment - the books are wrapped like jewels on velvet cushions and always pristine. 2016, I thought A Little Life was my book of the year so now delving into The Sympathizer. Will try and add comments on any 2017 novels that are eligible. Thanks again for your insights. Best, Martin
Likes: 1
jfieds2 - Apr 26, 2016
@ey814 @jfieds2 I am a huge fan of Krauss and Obreht (I am scared to read THE TIGER'S WIFE for fear of ruining my memory of it), but I don't see them producing a winner. I think Obreht is working on another non-US set novel and Krauss' work doesn't seem to have the kind of narrative fit that I associate with the Pulitzer. This is especially so with the description of her newest project "a searching and metaphysical novel about transformation, about moving in the opposite direction from all that is known and apparent." (http://tktk.gawker.com/nicole-krauss-gets-4-million-for-a-book-called-how-to-1694064209). I think I might enjoy it, but I don't associate "metaphysical" with the Pulitzer. (Note: no publication date for this book yet)

It's a similar story with her ex-husband (Safran Foer) who has a book coming in the fall. His past books have verged a bit too far into the mystical realism space to be Pulitzer candidates, in my opinion. Still, the new book sounds more grounded. It could be one to watch: http://www.amazon.com/Here-Am-Jonathan-Safran-Foer/dp/0374280029/

I am with you in finding Freudenberger's THE NEWLYWED'S underwhelming (to say the least). I was surprised to even give it a shot after not finishing THE DISSIDENT. I might lean against giving her another shot.

Likes: 4
jfieds2 - Apr 26, 2016
@Scott S @jfieds2 The juries don't choose winners. For each category (at least in letters) the juries choose three favorites among all eligible nominees. They pass those three on to the full Pulitzer board and the board makes their choice for the winner, with the other two becoming finalists. Under the rules of all of the prizes, the full board is permitted to reject all of the selections of the jury and make their own choice among eligible works, or even ask the jury for another selection. (If I am not mistaken, this happened with ALL THE LIGHT last year.) Thus, I highly doubt that the full board would have given the award to CUSTER in the biography category *and also* rejected all of the history choices and awarded it that prize. It seems most likely that the board loved BARBARIAN DAYS (the biography/autobiography winner) and CUSTER but none of the history finalists, so they just moved CUSTER over to that category. In reading the rules, it seems that certain works can be submitted in two categories, so it's also possible that CUSTER was nominated there, but the three other finalists seem to show that it was not the choice of the history jury.
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 26, 2016
@jfieds2 @ey814 I'm about 200 pages into C. E. Morgan's novel, and I have to say...if it continues on this trajectory, I think it will be my frontrunning (having not read any other contenders) for many of the big awards. You'll be hearing about it again--get a signed copy.
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 26, 2016
@grahammyers haven't, but have seen some somewhere on these boards...comparisons to "middlesex"
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Scott S - Apr 26, 2016
@jfieds2 I wonder what would have happened if the jury for Biography or Autobiography chose it as their winner.
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Scott S - Apr 26, 2016
@jfieds2 I didn't notice that. Good observation!
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grahammyers - Apr 26, 2016
has anyone read Ethan Canin's 'A Doubter's Almanac?' seeing some pulitzer hype for it
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jfieds2 - Apr 26, 2016
@Scott S It is interesting to note that the history category had three finalists, plus the winner. I wonder if this means that the board didn't like any of those choices and chose CUSTER from the biography category themselves...
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Scott S - Apr 26, 2016
A bit off topic, but whilst browsing this year's winners over at pulitzer.org, I noticed that Custer's Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America by T.J. Stiles won the History category and was a finalist in the Biography or Autobiography category. Did anyone else notice this? Interesting. I wonder if it were possible for the book to win both? Oh wow! I have a new life goal: Write a novel in poetic form capable of winning the Pulitzer in 2 categories! I'll let you all know how that goes.
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ChuckRyan - Apr 26, 2016
I'm new to this (wonderful) message board this year...and cannot describe how great it is to get such fine recommendations from others more well-read than myself. I think I will be pulling for LaRose all year, but couldn't find anyone mentioning Sunil Yapa's debut Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist. It is pretty excellent, although being super impressed with debuts isn't that surprising I find...Clegg and Hulse would have been finalists for me last go round.

It also deals with a specific major event in US history, maybe not as important or encompassing as something like The Underground Railroad would span, but the Battle in Seattle is still a semi-recent black mark which might justly sway voters.
Likes: 1
Marybethking - Apr 25, 2016
Me too!!!
ejcrowe42 - Apr 23, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus I'm happy to say that C E Morgan will be at Odyssey Bookshop in June. She's a selection for our club that month.

Sport of Kings is one of the strongest novels I've read in a while. It meandered a bit too much for my taste in a few parts, but the language is so rich and the geography of place so strong that I forgave it all of its minor shortcomings.
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Scott S - Apr 23, 2016
@jjose712 @ey814 @BRAKiasaurus I haven't read The Son, but I was kind of indifferent towards The Goldfinch. I enjoyed McDermott's Someone much more.
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 22, 2016
@jfieds2 @BRAKiasaurus @ey814 I'm loving it so far! I just got to a part that really pulled me in. I can see the beginnings of a potential childhood drama (trauma?) unfold. No spoilers from me--I'm just speculating!

But it is truly very good so far.
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 22, 2016
@ey814 @jjose712 @Scott S @BRAKiasaurus Agree about The Son, too...and Someone.
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jjose712 - Apr 22, 2016
@ey814 @jjose712 @Scott S @BRAKiasaurus Don't get me wrong i liked The Goldfinch (at least most parts) but that was a great year and i liked The son (or Someone, or The interestings) way more
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ey814 - Apr 22, 2016
@jjose712 @Scott S @ey814 @BRAKiasaurus Agree about The Son as well.
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ey814 - Apr 22, 2016
@Scott S @ey814 @BRAKiasaurus Funny, I didn't notice the Cher bit, pretty amusing. IMHO, Round House should have won the Pulitzer. It was such an important theme and such a well-written novel. I'm really torn already this year... I think DeLillo should have won a Pultzer for either White Noise or Underworld, so if Zero K is great, it may be his last shot, given his age. But, I think Erdrich should have won for either PLAGUE OF DOVES or ROUND HOUSE, and since LaRose is the third in that trilogy, it's time to recognize her. And, if Whitehead's UNDERGROUND RAILROAD is as well written and compelling as JOHN HENRY DAYS, given its writer and topic, it would seem to be worthy. Of course, I guess I need to read all these first, though :-).
Likes: 3
jjose712 - Apr 22, 2016
@Scott S @ey814 @BRAKiasaurus I am reading The round house right now and for the life of me that i would never think that the Cher part has that meaning :) (but it makes sense that an author gets its little vengeance in her own novel)

By the way, i agree with you, The plague of doves stronger than Olive Kitteridge (the same way The son is way stronger than The goldfinch)
Likes: 1
Scott S - Apr 22, 2016
@ey814 @BRAKiasaurus I agree about Erdrich. I felt that The Plague of Doves was waaaay stronger than Olive Kitteridge. I think I may have posted this here before (maybe not), but there was a reference to Cher's movie "Moonstruck" in The Round House. Many people felt that Cher received the Oscar for her performance in that film mostly because she was snubbed for "Mask". Maybe Erdrich was referring to The Plague of Doves losing to OK and perhaps being avenged by being awrded the Pulitzer for The Round House? I'm sure that, if this isn't pure coincidence, it was done in a tongue-in cheek manner.
Likes: 1
ey814 - Apr 22, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @jfieds2 @Scott S @ey814 I like Chabon, and loved Kavalier and Clay and liked Telegraph. But, I don't really think he's in line for a second Pulitzer... particularly since he likes to experiment with genre-bending stuff. Maybe in 20 years, but not any time soon, I wouldn't think. I'm waiting for someone to let me know how brilliant Maud's Line and Get in Trouble are :-). It's true that the finalists can be obscure, but this year seemed the extreme!
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ey814 - Apr 22, 2016
@Scott S Bel Canto is one of the books that is forever on my "to read'" list and that I don't get to! Everyone I know who read it loved it. I'm not sure her work subsequent to Bel Canto has lived up to the promise of that novel (opinions anyone? I'm basing this on my perception, not my reading experience). But, I think a new book by her is one to watch. Plus, she now runs an indie bookstore in Nashville and is a great advocate for independent booksellers, which makes her stand out to me (Erdrich also runs an indie bookstory in Minneapolis).
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ey814 - Apr 22, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @Scott S I loved John Henry Days. I thought The Intuitionists was brilliant. And, I've enjoyed all of the others. The only dud, in my opinion, was his latest, the zombie novel, Zone One. It was an attempt, I think, to be literary and write in a genre tradition (aka Chabon), and while it was entertaining, it wasn't very literary, in the end. I think Underground Railroad is by a writer that can win the prize and is a topic that is timely and important. I regret it is coming out the same year that Erdrich's LaRose is coming out. Both Erdrich and Whitehead are important writers writing about important American Life themes.
Likes: 2
BRAKiasaurus - Apr 22, 2016
@jfieds2 @BRAKiasaurus @Scott S @ey814 I'm surprised it wasn't Braggsville...but I was SHOCKED by the fact that the previous year chose such weak nominees that the board asked for a fourth choice, particularly in such a strong year. (How could 10:04, Preparation For the Next Life, and Fourth of July Creek ALL be overlooked?!)

But I agree-nice to see surprises and unknowns.

Edward P. Jones was a jurist, and I love his writing, so I have faith that his choices were worthy...but we'll see. "Maud's Line" is on its way to me, and "The Sympathizer" is a book I already have.
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 22, 2016
@Scott S @BRAKiasaurus I loved "John Henry Days"--his writing is wonderful. That is the only one I have read--but "The Intuitionist" was incredibly well-reviewed. Some of his work has been more satirical, some more autobiographical, so I think JHD is probably a good starting point, honestly.
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Scott S - Apr 22, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Have you read him before? If so, which of his novels would you recommend as a starting point?
jfieds2 - Apr 22, 2016
@TELyles I am a member of Odyssey, but behind on my reading. I need to get to ALMANAC, stat, it sounds like. I'm trying to read NOBODY'S FOOL before EVERYBODY'S FOOL shows up next month (along with HEAT & LIGHT!) [@ejcrowe42 Darn you and these double shipments. I was almost going to decline the Haigh, but it like I shouldn't!]. I also still have Helen Oyeymi's collection from March unread, not to mention the April choice, THE LAST PAINTING OF SARA DE VOS which arrived last week! Does anyone know if Dominic Smith is an American citizen now? He might merely be a *resident* and thus not eligible for the Pulitzer
Likes: 4
jfieds2 - Apr 22, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @Scott S @ey814 I couldn't finish TELEGRAPH. In many ways, I really don't want to see a repeat Pulitzer winner, almost ever. In my opinion, there is simply too much good writing to spotlight by authors that might not already be household names. I'd almost hope that the Pulitzer board would choose a non-winner over a previous winner passed on by the jury. Still, the best book of the jury's selections should certainly win. Obviously sometimes the jury in any given year does not choose highly lauded books -- by us, other critics, and other awards -- as their favorites. Frankly, I am still stunned that the 2016 jury didn't choose TSAR (and to a lesser extent SELLOUT, although my love for that one has waned) as finalists.
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 22, 2016
@Scott S @ey814 This new Chabon novel sounds really great, but I never know whether I'm going to enjoy his work or not. "Telegraph Avenue" got a lot of praise, but I thought it was a really bad novel, myself. Fingers crossed for this one.
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 22, 2016
@Scott S Yeah, I'm excited for this one.
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jfieds2 - Apr 22, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @ey814 @jfieds2 I am a *huge* horse racing fan, so that enhances my enjoyment, but it truly is just a good novel. You'll probably enjoy the second section more, which takes a diversion from racing to another character's life. I enjoyed that section, and it is an important part of the novel, but I was also anxious to get back to horses!
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Scott S - Apr 22, 2016
@myram319 @BRAKiasaurus @ey814 Thanks! I ordered a signed copy of the Deluxe Edition of Love Medicine from there before. I should jump on a copy of LaRose if they're still available.
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Scott S - Apr 22, 2016
I'm just going to continue my trend of spitting out works of fiction scheduled to be released in 2016 by notable authors if it's ok with all of you :)

Colson Whitehead - The Underground Railroad: A Novel

Whitehead has been a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway, National Book Critics Circle Award, and Pulitzer among others. Not too shabby!
Likes: 6
Scott S - Apr 21, 2016
Another author I've been meaning to read, Ann Patchett, has a new novel coming out September 19 titled "Commonwealth". It seems as though she's been receiving a lot of attention since her Pen/Faulkner win for "Bel Canto", so I'm guessing she may be considered for one or more of the major prizes.
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 21, 2016
@ey814 @jfieds2 @BRAKiasaurus @stealth80

I use this for the Bay Area: http://litseen.com/bay-area-literary-calendar/
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 21, 2016
@ey814 @jfieds2 I too am about 50 pages into my ARC of SoK, and it is a really well-crafted novel. I'm enjoying it, despite not caring about horses or horse racing. We'll see, but so far, it is a very solid novel.
ey814 - Apr 21, 2016
@jfieds2 @ey814 @BRAKiasaurus @stealth80 Yeah, go ahead, rub it in :-). But, good to know that industry insiders aren't keeping something from us!
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ey814 - Apr 21, 2016
@jfieds2 I do think the latest 20-under-40 crowd is primed to have a win at some point, and agree with your comments and observations completely. I'd add Nicole Krauss and Tea Obreht to the lead candidates list. Wells Tower hasn't come out with anything since the list was issued and is someone to watch. Nell Freudenberger's novel, The Newlyweds, which came out after the list was issued was, I thought, disappointing and sort of annoying, and although I haven't read them, Rivka Galchen's second collection of short stories (2014) doesn't seem to have created the stir that her first collection (Atmospheric Disturbances) did. It will be interesting to see who among that group is the first to win the Pulitzer (I think one of them will, and probably more)... Russell and Meyer almost crossed that line first.

I bought a first edition (well, and an advance review copy) of Deborah Treisman's edited book "20 Under 40: Stories from the New Yorker" issued as a result of the list, and have been having these signed by the list members when I have a chance to see them... so far have Karen Russell, Chris Adrian, Jonathan Safran Foer, Nicole Krauss and Daniel Alarcon.
Likes: 2
BNS - Apr 21, 2016
I'm not sure about full tour information, but I ordered my signed Haslett from Bookpeople and my signed Morgan from Carmichael's... I think both events are in mid-May.
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jfieds2 - Apr 21, 2016
I have been reading my galley of THE SPORT OF KINGS quite slowly, but I am enjoying it immensely. I think it will certainly be among the best of the year. I'd like to note that Morgan was on the New Yorker's 20 under 40 list from 2010. The way the list was assembled is really quite arbitrary, but I keep expecting one of the choices to win a Pulitzer.

Some of you may remember that there was a 20 under 40 in 1999. By 2008 4 of the 20 had won the Pulitzer (Lahiri, Chabon, Eugenides, and Diaz) with Franzen as a finalist. Since 2011 Chang-Rae Lee and Nathan Englander from the 1999 group were finalists.

Of the 2010 list, Karen Russell was a finalist in the no award year and Philipp Meyer was in 2013, but we don't yet have a winner from the group. I don't think we should necessarily treat the list as a overly special class of writers, but if choosing between two books, I might personally choose to read a writer from the list over another. In terms of style, I think the lead candidates for a possible future Pulitzer, besides Morgan and Meyer (if Russell continues to write magic realism, I kind of doubt that she'll be honored again) are ZZ Packer (who is allegedly finishing a sweeping epic) and possibly Daniel Alarcón. Others on the list, although great writers, either don't fit the typical Pulitzer mold in terms of style (Safran Foer,and Shteyngart) or are not American (Adichie and Bezmozgis).
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jfieds2 - Apr 21, 2016
@ey814 @BRAKiasaurus @stealth80 From what I know, there is no aggregated resource for author tours. Like you, I have seen some publishers keep lists, and some authors keep lists. Twitter can be a source, also. Since I live in NYC with an embarrassment of riches, I tend to just visit the websites of the major stores.
ey814 - Apr 21, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @stealth80 I wish there was a better way to get tour dates. There was a meta-site that tried to get information about tour dates, but it went belly up (and wasn't ever that good). Some publishers have information on their websites, others don't, some authors have information on their websites, others don't... heck, some authors don't even have websites. I wonder if there is a source that book publishing professionals know about that provides information like that... Publisher's Weekly, etc.?
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 21, 2016
@stealth80 @BRAKiasaurus Yeah, neither has a full list of tour dates...which surprises me. Some authors aren't great about posting things on their websites, but usually the publisher helps with that, gets it posted on facebook and goodreads.....strange.
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stealth80 - Apr 21, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Haslett will be at Harvard Bookstore on May 9th, but I have been looking unsuccessfully for any Morgan tour information...
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 21, 2016
Does anyone have information about Adam Haslett's events? Or C E Morgan? I can't find any info, and I know we have some booksellers on here. :)
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Scott S - Apr 20, 2016
@ejcrowe42 Sounds like we have similar tastes, Emily. Of the 5 Russo books I've read, "Straight Man" and "Bridge of Sighs" are my 2 favorites as well. "Faith" is the only novel of Haigh's I've read, but I plan on reading all of her books at some point
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ejcrowe42 - Apr 20, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @ey814 @ejcrowe42

I'll be buying tipped-ins from my own bookstore, but thanks! :-) We've offered them to our customers a while back.
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myram319 - Apr 20, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @ey814 For those that may be interested, you can pre-order a signed copy of LaRose at Erdrich's bookstore "Birchbark Books" in Minneapolis.
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 20, 2016
@ey814 @ejcrowe42 For whatever it's worth, I spied a tipped in copy of La Rose on BN.com as well. I didn't buy it, but if you're hedging your bets, you may want to snag a copy. :)
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ey814 - Apr 19, 2016
@ejcrowe42 @ey814 hopefully he'll tour, though he hasn't done many public appearances lately. I know Erdrich is going on a six or seven city tour. IMHO, if these two books are as good as they could be, the Pulitzer race could be between them. I'm anxious to hear what people think when they begin to read them.
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ey814 - Apr 19, 2016
@ejcrowe42 @Scott S when Peter Carey was nominated for the NBA award a few years ago, we were surprised.... the NBA is, like the Pulitzer, for U.S. Citizens only. Turns out he'd lived in NYC long enough and gotten dual citizenship!
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ey814 - Apr 19, 2016
@myram319 You'll love it. It's riotously funny. Check out Jane Smiley's Moo as well. Both Russo and Smiley were academics when they wrote these books.
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myram319 - Apr 19, 2016
@ey814 @Scott S I get so many good book recommendations on here! Thanks. I'll have to check Russo's "Straight Man" out since I recently retired as an analyst for Academic Affairs at the local university.
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ey814 - Apr 19, 2016
@Scott S I loved Straight Man. I'm an academic, so it hit so many things about university life square on the head.
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stealth80 - Apr 19, 2016
I thought readers here might find this article of interest:

http://www.insidehook.com/nation/100-years-of-pulitzer-biggest-losers?utm_source=InsideHook&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nation&utm_content=advice
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ejcrowe42 - Apr 19, 2016
@ey814 @kas1985 I think you may be right,re: tipped in pages for Delillo and Erdrich. I'm pretty sure that those are the same signed/tipped-in stock that our bookstore had access to also in the early pre-publication days. But as BRAKiasaurus says, a tipped-in DeLillo is nothing to sneeze at!
ejcrowe42 - Apr 19, 2016
@Scott S @ejcrowe42 Roger that. Duh. Didn't think of dual or new citizenship!
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ejcrowe42 - Apr 19, 2016
@Scott S I liked Heat & Light. Reminded me a bit of Barbara Kingsolver's more recent work, but a bit more literary. Faith remains my favorite of her works. And Straight Man is probably still my favorite of Russo's work, but I also loved Bridge of Sighs.
Likes: 1
BRAKiasaurus - Apr 19, 2016
I purchased one on eBay and one on the BN website (thanks for the tip!)--I think when it comes to someone as illustrious and...elusive, shall we say, as Delillo, even a tipped in is awesome. Not to mention that he's a wonderful writer!
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Scott S - Apr 18, 2016
Another novel I'm looking forward to this year is Jennifer Haigh's "Heat and Light". It takes place in fictional Bakerton, PA, the setting of her novel "Baker Towers", which I have yet to read. I did, however, read her novel "Faith", and enjoyed it immensely. Haigh's hometown is relatively close to mine, so that adds to my excitement to read more of her work. When I read Russo's "Straight Man", I enjoyed it all the more because it took place in Railton, PA, a thinly veiled version of Altoona, PA, where I currently reside.
Likes: 5
TELyles - Apr 18, 2016
Emily - thanks for your comments and keep up the great work at Odyssey. Although I am not a member of your firsts club, I do frequent your website to see what your store as picked, given its excellent track record. I believe I ordered Marra's Constellation and Meyer's The Son in the same shipment a couple of summers ago :) This summer sounds like a blockbuster for you guys; I should go ahead and call in an order!

Great pick in Doubters Almanac. I am ~150 pages into Almanac and am really enjoying the novel so far. I am not blowing smoke, but the book feels familiar to past winners Middlesex, Kavalier and Empire Falls.
Likes: 1
Guardiands - Apr 18, 2016
I'm just starting out. So currently my focus is to start collecting pulitzers. I originally just wanted good literature and I came upon this website 2 1/2 years ago (I said 1 1/2 earlier then realized time flies.).

So I'm starting only with past pulitzers. But I think my other goal is to collect books from this list, and of course my Odyssey club. I don't have a lot of time to read, unfortunately. And so I feel I need to take small bites, and because I love this site I'm focusing just on the pulitzers for my prize collection.

That said I'm always happy when a book from the club like Fortune Smiles wins the NBA.
Likes: 2
ey814 - Apr 18, 2016
@kas1985 Interesting. Must be tipped in page editions, as you note, but I don't think of B&N as having those, so I have to pay closer attention. I presume that means there will be a signed tipped-in page of Nobody's Fool. I know I'm overly compulsive, but I consider the signed tipped in versions a different edition from the "regular" first edition, and try to get one of both. Thanks for the head's up!
Likes: 3
ey814 - Apr 18, 2016
@Scott S sounds like a collector move to me :-). We just range across a continuum of compulsiveness, and I'm on the other end of that range!
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Scott S - Apr 18, 2016
@ey814 Although I did order a signed copy of Russo's "Everybody's Fool", even though I'm not a "collector" collector :)
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Scott S - Apr 18, 2016
@ey814 HaHa! And thank you for acknowledging us lowly non-collectors above in your excellently stated comments. I myself am partial to the Pulitzer, but have been casually following the NBA and Pen/Hemingway Awards as of late. The NBCC winners seem to overlap with the Pulitzer every so often, so I may work backwards to read the ones I've missed over the past decade or so, given that I've already read a fair amount of them.
Likes: 1
Scott S - Apr 18, 2016
@ejcrowe42 Dominic Smith has lived in Austin, Texas for as long as I've been reading him, I believe, so I'm guessing he holds U.S. Citizenship. But you're correct in that he hails from Australia.
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ey814 - Apr 18, 2016
@Scott S @ey814 See above "wow!" statement :-)
Scott S - Apr 18, 2016
@ey814 I deleted my comment and re-posted. My phone wouldn't allow me to post "proper" replies.
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ey814 - Apr 18, 2016
@Scott S Wow, just read that synopsis... sounds great!
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Scott S - Apr 18, 2016
@ey814 Amazon has a brief synopsis of the novel, Mike. It's titled "Moonglow" and is scheduled for a November 22 release.

http://www.amazon.com/Moonglow-Novel-Michael-Chabon/dp/0062225553/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1461024997&sr=8-2&keywords=moonglow

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kas1985 - Apr 18, 2016
I do not mean to endorse one bookseller over another, but signed copies of Zero K are also available from Barnes and Noble online for a discounted price. I bought one for myself. I highly expect for this to be a tipped in page however. Link:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zero-k-don-delillo/1122569855

Barnes and Noble has had other preorders of signed books that may be of interest here. Louise Erdrich's new book "LaRose" is currently available. Richard Russo's new book was available, but appears to be out of stock now.
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Scott S - Apr 18, 2016
@ey814 Amazon has a brief synopsis of the novel, Mike. It's titled "Moonglow" and is scheduled for a November 22 release.
ey814 - Apr 18, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus I ordered one of the signed Zero K, hoping it's not just a tipped-in signed page version... but even that is good to have. (I also ordered a signed tipped in version from Odyssey Books). I wonder if he'll tour anywhere. I bid on an ARC for that, but it went sky high, so no go.

@ejcrowe42 mentioned earlier that Barkskins was going to be a selection for the Odyssey Books First Edition Club, so there's a way to get one!
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ey814 - Apr 18, 2016
@ejcrowe42 @Scott S We follow all the prizes pretty avidly, but although it may be a dying sentiment, the Pulitzer seems to be the crowning jewel for an American author (Nobel prize excepted, of course). Many of the folks on the discussion board are not collectors, per se, and just enjoy reading good literature and learn/share information about what's new and interesting, so the discussions occur year round (though heat up significantly around the Pulitzer announcement). I suspect that most Pulitzer collectors are like me... they also collect NBA, NBCC, and, to probably a lesser degree, PEN/Faulkner books. The NBA is almost impossible to even guess about because there are no other awards that come out before the long list is announced, and even the "best of the year" lists are after the NBA. The NBCC books can be less of a surprise, but since NBCC allows books by authors who are not American, then it's also difficult to gauge in advance.

I collect National Book Award winning books and NBA finalists fairly seriously, NBCC winners and finalists that are American fairly seriously, and Pulitzer authors (thus, all their books). One reason that the Pulitzer is preferred for collectors is that it's harder to find first editions of books not published first in the U.S.

So, a bit of a rambling answer, but, yes, we follow all of the above (NBA, Booker, NBCC), as well as the PEN/Faulkner, PEN/Hemingway, PEN/Malamud, Story Prize, Tournament of Books, and, in general, about anything that focuses on quality literature! We even note the UK bookies (Ladbrokes) odds for Nobel Prize winners for any year.
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ey814 - Apr 18, 2016
@Scott S Agree on Haslett and Millet. Any more info on the Chabon novel? I haven't seen anything about this yet (one of my favorite authors).
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ejcrowe42 - Apr 18, 2016
@Scott S I really liked the Dominic Smith book, which was the April selection for our club. Ben Fountain gives it an amazing blurb -- I didn't like it as much as Fountain did, apparently, but it's a good read. But author is Australian, I believe? So not eligible for this prize, I thought.

I'm curious if others here follow the NBA, Booker, and NBCC prizes as avidly as they do the Pulitzer. I don't really rank one prize over the others but it seems like folks here value this one most. Comments?
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Scott S - Apr 18, 2016
An author I failed to mention above is a relative unknown by the name of Dominic Smith. His latest, "The Last Painting of Sara de VosI", came out earlier this month. He seems to finally be getting more attention. I have read his first two novels and they were brilliant!

I should also mention that Chabon and Lethem have new novels arriving this autumn. Chabon's previous win may keep him from being a serious contender, and Lethem's reputation for literary genre-bending, fair or unfair, may be a strike against him.
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Scott S - Apr 18, 2016
An author I failed to mention above is a relatively unknown by the name of Dominic Smith. His latest, "The Last Painting of Sara de VosI", came out earlier this month. He seems to finally be getting more attention. I have read his first two novels and they were brilliant!

I should also mention that Chabon and Lethem have new novels arriving this autumn. Chabon's previous win may keep him from being a serious contender, and Lethem's reputation for literary genre-bending, fair or unfair, may be a strike against him.
Likes: 5
Scott S - Apr 18, 2016
"Imagine Me Gone" by Adam Haslett may be one to keep an eye on. Haslett was a finalist for the 2003 Pulitzer, losing to "Middlesex" (which happens to be my favorite novel of all time), so there is no shame in that. Also, I've been meaning to read Lydia Millet for quite awhile now, and her latest novel, "Sweet Lamb of Heaven", is slated for release on May 3,2016. Millet was also a finalist for the Pulitzer, so we may see her name mentioned in some of the end-of-year discussions.
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Guardiands - Apr 17, 2016
I really loved Tsar. But I feel in the minority for enjoying Fortune Smiles a little bit more.

Also encouraging to realize when I do have a kid in a couple years I can catch up on some reading to off set the sleep deprivation. I've already been informed that lying really still and pretending I can't hear the baby won't work.
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myram319 - Apr 16, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus I actually ordered a signed copy online earlier this week from Book Passage. I got the information from the following: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Annie-Proulx/8544/appearances
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 16, 2016
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SIGNED-Zero-K-by-Don-DeLillo-2016-Hardcover-Autographed-Pre-Sale/222087040522

For anyone interested!

Also (nobody, including at some of their locations, seems aware of this but me): Annie Proulx will be doing a ticketed event at Corte Modera Book Passage for Barkskins. I realize that most of us can't make it--including myself--but if you call them, you can pre-order a signed copy for the cover price. Don't call yet. I tried already. But closer to the event, you can pre-order a copy. See the event time below and call the Corte Madera location prior to that date.

http://www.bookpassage.com/ticket-includes-signed-book-annie-proulx-barkskins

Hope people find this helpful! Happy hunting!
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 15, 2016
@Guardiands And also thank you!!
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 15, 2016
@Guardiands So far, so good...on the downside, I'm very tired...on the plus side, due to longer hours awake, I've gotten quite a bit of reading done. So I've managed to work my way through Tsar...and it is very very good.
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ejcrowe42 - Apr 13, 2016
@jfieds2 @ejcrowe42 Totally agree, re: Lee Boudreaux. she's a remarkable editor who has crafted an impressive and quite varied body of work. I was sad for Ecco when she left, but her move to Little Brown brought them up in my estimation. I've never paid attention to agents and deals, but you make a good case for doing so.
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Guardiands - Apr 13, 2016
I absolutely love the Odyssey book club! And it was because of this first editions site that I learned of that club. I'm not sure how I stumbled on this first editions site a year and a half ago, but it has singlehandedly changed what I choose to read. And this site linking me to Odyssey was a blessing. Now I feel all happy seeing my two sources of fiction together. I'm not an avid literature reader (I still love comic books), my area of work is non-fiction, yet I find myself checking here for updates all the time, and constantly look forward to my odyssey selections and books.

So thanks to this site and Odyssey. And soon I'll probably get the courage to try and provide useful commentary on books I read.
MichaelRuddon - Apr 13, 2016
@jfieds2 @MichaelRuddon @ejcrowe42 publishers
jfieds2 - Apr 12, 2016
@MichaelRuddon @ejcrowe42 Not to split hairs but do you mean "authors" or "publishers"? Authors have almost no say in a publication months. As for publishers, that is an interesting question. I could see if any book publicist friends have any insight!
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jfieds2 - Apr 11, 2016
@ejcrowe42 Lee Boudreaux has remarkable taste. More passionate readers should pay attention to book editors, but it takes some work to do so. Presently, Lee Boudreaux is the sole editor for her eponymous imprint, but I don;t think that is always the case at, eponymous imprints. One way to follow signings by individual editors at bigger imprints (Riverhead/Knopf/etc) is by purchasing a subscription to Publisher's Marketplace. The site lists "deals" that agents submit, sometimes with an advance "range." Agents, by no means, announce every deal, but any books that they are especially excited about usually are announced. I have definitely found some great reads merely by following the signings of specific editors. The same is true with agents. If I see an author unknown to me, but represented by an agent with other clients whose work I have enjoyed, I will often give the author/book a second look.
ejcrowe42 - Apr 10, 2016
@ey814 @ejcrowe42

We asked if we could drive to Boston to get Barkskins signed, but the author didn't agree to it. So we were faced with the difficult decision to accept Scribner's offer to get enough tipped-in signatures for the club. We only had 45 minutes to make the decision, and we debated pretty fiercely about it, but in the end decided to accept the tipped-ins for various reasons -- this is likely to be both Proulx's magnum opus AND her last work of fiction, she wasn't touring much for the book and thus not many actual signatures would be out there, and the fact that if it was good enough for Powell's, it was good enough for us. Also, July and August can be difficult months for us to find selections -- we thought it was unlikely that we would find another book that would overall be more desirable/important to our club members than Barkskins would be.
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ejcrowe42 - Apr 10, 2016
@myram319 @ejcrowe42

June's two selections are Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi and The Sport of Kings by C E Morgan. Both are fantastic -- it's gonna take a big fall to top our summer picks.
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ey814 - Apr 10, 2016
@ejcrowe42 So are you driving a lot of books to Boston again to get Barkskins signed for the FEC? If so, bless you. I saw Ms. Proulx at a talk in Dallas during the tour for her memoir, and she was very entertaining and a nice person to visit with in the signing line.
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myram319 - Apr 10, 2016
@ejcrowe42 Good to know what the July FEC pick is. You mentioned previously one of the picks for June. Has the 2nd pick been chosen?
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ejcrowe42 - Apr 9, 2016
@MichaelRuddon @ejcrowe42

I only have access to a digital galley of BARKSKINS, not a physical one, and I don't care much for reading on my e-reader at home after being on the computer all day at work. but I need to read at least a little bit of it because it's the July selection for my store's club. She's only doing two public appearances -- Boston and WAshington, DC. So everybody else will have to either order from Harvard or Politics & Prose, or settle on getting a tipped-in signature. Even Powell's, which has chosen it for their INdiespensable program, will have a tipped-in signature on that book.

Love your question about how presidential elections might affect pub dates! I've no idea at all...
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ejcrowe42 - Apr 9, 2016
@ey814 @ejcrowe42

Rainy Day Books is a great store! I visited Kansas City a few years ago for a bookseller conference and it was my chance to see them. We're a small community, indie booksellers, and we often know each other without actually having met. We've got Richard Russo coming next month, too, but we've not heard back yet abou Jonathan Safrno Foer. Keeping our fingers crossed to get him because he's on my radar as a potential FEC selection.

I suspect many reps probably feel the need to push certain books based on what was paid at auction, but I also trust my reps not to push something to us if it is not ALSO a good fit for the club. The only push we ever get is that IF we want to pick a particular book, we have to let them know by X date, which sometimes results in our having a September selection established but not yet have July or August determined yet for that same year. This happened with Marra's book. He was not going to get a huge tour, so if we wanted CONSTELLATION, we had to decide before his tour was set up, several months ahead of when we would have otherwise settled on the May selection of that year.

I couldn't read CITY ON FIRE -- not my cup of tea -- but it was so highly anticipated and getting so much buzz that I thought it was still a solid selection for the club. I don't have to like every selection, but I have to respect it.
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Guardiands - Apr 8, 2016
Congratulations!!!
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MichaelRuddon - Apr 8, 2016
@ejcrowe42 Very interesting stuff. SPORT OF KINGS sounds like my cup of tea and there are a lot of Great books coming. Have you read BARKSKINS yet?

My question is one that has been discussed here in previous years, but it would be interesting to hear from a book seller. Does the Presidential Election in the fall make authors shy away from releasing a book in the September-Early November perios because all of the oxygen is sucked up by the campaigns?
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ey814 - Apr 7, 2016
@ejcrowe42 Wondering what you thought of DOUBTER'S ALMANAC? Ethan Canin came to Kansas City (I live nearby) when America! America! was out... really nice guy. DOUBTER'S ALMANAC seems sort of a magnum opus for him. Great news about Sport of Kings! I'm envious that you have so many authors come through and can get some of their back catalog signed. Kansas City has Rainy Day Books, an indy that does a nice job of getting authors through (Richard Russo and Jonathan Safron Foer are coming through this year), but we don't get nearly the volume that either coast gets. I often drive to St. Louis (6 hours), or a similar close-enough city to see authors.

I'm curious about the sales reps and how much their influenced by some of the hype around large signing bonuses and, perhaps, the need to see that book do well. I've liked a number of those signing bonus babies (The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach, We Are not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas). Haven't read City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg yet, it seemed to get mixed reviews. Anyway, do those factors come into play with sales reps?
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ey814 - Apr 6, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus Congratulations! Exciting. Get some sleep, but don't stay away from the discussion board for too long!
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BRAKiasaurus - Apr 6, 2016
My little one has arrived! Hence my brevity and long absences!

I just wanted to say: Tuesday Nights in 1980 is a very disappointing novel. I do not even remotely recommend it.
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ejcrowe42 - Apr 5, 2016
@ey814 @ejcrowe42

thanks, ey814, for both your encouragement and your kind words about my store's club. I wasn't sure how kosher it was to mention it.

i started the Odyssey FEC (First Editions Club) back in 2001, but then I left the store that year and returned in 2007, so the first 6.5 years I didn't have much to do with it. Now, while I'm not the administrator for the club, I am one of the two primary readers for the monthly selections -- I'm also the fiction buyer for my bookstore, and these two hats I wear dovetail quite nicely together. We also have two former employees who are either retired or writing full time themselves who read advance reading copies and help us make the decision, but their input ebbs and flows based on what's happening in their lives.

basically, when I meet with my sales reps for each buying season, we discuss the titles on their list that, in their opinions, are the top contenders for our club. We have *amazing* sales reps whose opinions I trust (I"ll never forgive myself for not listening harder about A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD, for example). Then those of us at my bookstore who read for the FEC, keep a running Google doc of what we're reading, how we feel about it, and whether we want to pick it.

We're a small bookstore in a small town, so we don't always get our top choices each month. And sometimes even when we do, we have to jump through hoops to get signed books for our customers. For example, in February of this year, we picked Ethan Canin's THE DOUBTER'S ALMANAC, but the publisher couldn't work us into the tour. He was going to Boston, however, so I drove the 300 books to Boston to get signed. When we believe in a book, and particularly when we don't have a strong second choice, we simply do what we can to make it work. And if that means driving books to Boston to get signed, or driving an author to the airport or her next appearance (like we did with Helen Oyeymi for our March selection), that's what we do.

Incidentally, THE SPORT OF KINGS has just been confirmed as one of our two FEC selections for June, which means I now need to track down a first printing of ALL THE LIVING so I can get that signed when I meet her.
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ey814 - Apr 5, 2016
@ejcrowe42 I think it would be great to have you share some of your thoughts about the process you go through in selecting books. You all have done a nice job selecting books over the last several years, and since you'd be reading way in advance of most of us, you will likely have an earlier sense of what will be coming. (I'll mention that I know you're involved with the signed first editions club at Odyssey Bookstore, and I've already sung the praises of that signed first editions club several times, as a member, so I don't really think you're going to offend or run anyone off if you mention the store or the club in providing comments!). I think the 2016 year will have lots of books that might be Pulitzer worthy, and I think Morgan's THE SPORT OF KINGS sounds like it's definitely a contender! Look forward to hearing your insights, as I know others will.
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ey814 - Apr 1, 2016
Okay, looking ahead to the 2016 National Book Awards, here are the jurors:

http://nationalbook.org/nba2016.html#.Vv8Ih2K9KSO
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ejcrowe42 - Mar 30, 2016
hi, y'all. i'm an independent bookseller and while I've been a lurker for some time on these boards, this is the first time I've posted. I"ve been a bookseller since 1997 and an on-and-off book collector the same period. Jim Harrison was the first author I ever started collecting, though I'm by no means a completist.

I didn't see the actual Terms Of Use when I created my account, so before I get started, I thought I'd put the question to the group: I help oversee a signed first editions club at my store, but since that's a commercial enterprise, I don't know if it's cool for me to ever talk about it. I only mention it because over the last 3-4 years in particular, we've had a pretty good track record at picking various prize winners (not just Pulitzer) and finalists. And every so often, the early buzz here has led us to give more consideration for our monthly selections, so thank you.

I'm at the 3/4 mark of finishing C E Morgan's THE SPORT OF KINGS, and the writing blows me away. The overarching story has been a bit more meandering than I'd expected based on the first hundred pages or so, but this writer is amazing. I'm going to be seeking out ALL THE LIVING soon. But her book is the first one of 2016 that I'm pretty psyched about.

I couldn't get excited about TUESDAY NIGHTS IN 1980, but I do think that folks who loved THE FLAMETHOWER by Rachel Kushner would probably like it. I couldn't get past the first 100 pages, but I really disliked Kushner's book, which got tons of accolades, and the whole NYC art scene of the 1980s apparently just isn't my thing.

I absolutely loved ALICE & OLIVER, which broke my heart on a few different levels, and I thought the writing was more fresh than literary.

I loved the language of FALLEN LAND, but the whole time I felt like I was reading a story I'd already read, like COLD MOUNTAIN meets THE SOUL CATCHER.

I don't think anybody here has mentioned HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi yet, but it's pretty incredible what she was able to accomplish in around 300 pages. The craft behind this book is amazing, and while the writing (to me) wasn't quite as impressive as the overall achievement, it's still going to be making a big critical splash when it lands in June.

I hear from Lee Boudreaux that MISCHLING by Affinity Konar is worth watching out for -- she's the first editor I've ever really paid attention to, but that one isn't coming until fall.
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BRAKiasaurus - Mar 27, 2016
Jim Harrison has passed away...

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/03/27/469817873/legends-of-the-fall-author-who-found-freedom-outdoors-dies-at-78
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myram319 - Mar 22, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @ey814 I just finished reading an ARC of LaRose. I haven't read any of her other books, but feel that this book will likely win some awards and make it to the 2017 PPrize Prediction list. I'm hoping others will read it and share how it may or may not compare to her prior work.
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Marybethking - Mar 22, 2016
I just finished 'Queen of the Night.' It was quite a chore. However, I think it will be around to stay for 2017 even though I didn't really like it that much.
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proseimprint - Mar 20, 2016
Just finished "Gone with the Mind" still trying to figure out if Leymer is insane or brilliant. This book doesn't disappoint his prose and structure is stong and gratifying.
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BRAKiasaurus - Mar 10, 2016
@ey814 @BRAKiasaurus Picked up an ARC of that the other day--will keep you posted! I am not one who has read much of her work.
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ey814 - Mar 10, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus I'm excited about Zero K as well, but also pumped about Louise Erdrich's LaRose, which is the third in the trilogy that began with Plague of Doves (Pulitzer Finalist) and Round House (NBA Winner).
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BRAKiasaurus - Mar 9, 2016
For now (and off the top of my head) I'm excited about:

Don Delillo's "Zero K"

C E Morgan's "Sport of Kings"

Charles Bock's "Alice and Oliver"

Annie Proulx's "Barkskins"

Molly Prentiss's "Tuesday Nights in 1980"
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proseimprint - Mar 9, 2016
@BRAKiasaurus @proseimprint @jfieds2 I just finished Fallen Land

by Taylor Brown highly recommend this novel. The story line mirrors that of Sport of Kings so it should be interesting comparing the two, like the conversation of last year's Welcome to Braggsville and The Sellout.
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BRAKiasaurus - Mar 9, 2016
@proseimprint @jfieds2 I am also looking forward to this one! I just snagged an early copy of "LaRose" if you want to trade with me in a few weeks. I haven't had a chance to read it yet but will be trying to start it this weekend. :)
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proseimprint - Mar 8, 2016
@jfieds2 I am looking forward to reading this novel also. C E Morgan is on quit a few respectable lists as some one to follow. http://windhamcampbell.org/2016/winner/c-e-morgan
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jfieds2 - Mar 7, 2016
I nabbed a galley of CE Morgan's SPORT OF KINGS (FSG May). Morgan was one of the New Yorker's 20 under 40 in 2010. Her debut ALL THE LIVING was a slim (just under 200 pp) and lyrical account of a young marriage in struggle, arising from events in the present and past of the book. Her follow up is a much bigger (560pp) "epic," which also take place in her home state of Kentucky. I am barely into it, but I think it will be a major contender. The writing is strong and it has the kind of breadth of winners of the past, like KAVALIER AND CLAY. It also already got a "coveted" star from Kirkus. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ce-morgan/the-sport-of-kings/
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jjose712 - Mar 7, 2016
@proseimprint I read a lot of good things about Tender, but i think the author is not american.

I will be interesting to see if some books that were highly praised by critics in the first months of the year like What belongs to you or The queen of the night are able to keep the hype till the award season
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proseimprint - Mar 6, 2016
I enjoy the involvement of this post. This is going to be a strong year. Having read "What belongs To You," "Young Blood," "Ways to Disappear," all very good books but four others have so far stood out for me "The Vegetarian," "Free Men," "Tender" and "Poor Your Soul." I am ready now for the heavy hitters for me stating this month with "Gone With the Mind," "The Association of Small Bombs," and "Innocents and Others."