Oh no, sorry, I can't divulge the final decision yet but at least I can say with relief that we have winners. Thirty-six novels in two months! Phew! During a marathon conference call Wednesday afternoon each of us three reviewers gave up some personal favorites to make place for others. We discussed, eliminated, and compromised. No wonder the Booker committee copped out and split the winnings.
The good news is that now I have some wonderful titles to share with you over the next couple of months, titles that we all agreed should grace a runners' up list if such a thing was possible. The books were heartbreaking, jaw dropping, original, and flat out fun. Several I read more than once before giving them my imprimatur. Others were picked up by different committees at Library Journal, and then books like Atwood's "The Testaments," well, it hardly needs the publicity does it?
We also had to consider our audience. We review for the nation's librarians, those folks charged with spending tax dollars wisely while fulfilling their customers' requests for the best. The only book on our list that I simply chose not to finish because of time constraints was that thousand page doorstop "Ducks, Newburyport" by Lucy Ellmann. That isn't to say the book wasn't clever as hell. It absolutely is.
I'm taking a couple of days off from required reading to binge watch all the Jason Bourne movies with Don - it's getting chilly up here in Maryland. Then I've downloaded a British murder mystery by Mark Billingham, one of many in the Tom Thorne series, as a palate cleanser. It has the feel of an Inspector Morse for the 21st century and I'll be surprised if the BBC doesn't pick it up soon. Next up will be Lara Prescott's "The Secrets We Kept."
2 comments:
Had just noticed "Ducks Newburyport" on our library's new book shelf and had the same thoughts. You would have to read this with a fingernail on each line as it is a bit visually overwhelming in addition to being long. You certainly wouldn't want to accidentally close the book or you would never find your place again. Am afraid it will be off-putting to most readers.
Appreciate your posts. Loved "Behold the Dreamers" which I used for a book discussion group and suspect most of your future posts will be titles I will be reading as part of ALA's Reading List Council. And Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne books are favorites. Maybe great, or dedicated, readers think alike. Enjoy.
Oh Gloria, How lovely to hear from you again. As to Ducks...I had to laugh. You know how when you're reading in the evening and your eyes are beginning to close and you're looking for a good place to stop? NOT! Have you read Travelers by Helon Habila? Also about the immigrant experience but in Europe. That broke my heart too.
Post a Comment