TOB 2020 Longlist

[Karissa]

I've read 11 of these and already planned to read a few of the others in November and December. Now the hard decision of deciding what other books to add to my TBR... Excited to see about what others' favorites off the long list are.

[Janet]

Jan wrote: "Janet, hi and thanks! I’ll be back later today (curses on Monday morning fire drills), but if anyone wants a quick rec, I’m currently enjoying (very much) Bangkok Wakes to Rain. Rules for Visiting ..."

Jan, thanks for your recs. I made up my own shortlist and the only book I can't get from any of my libraries is Blood & Sugar. Have you (or anyone else) read it?

[Ellen]

Janet, I'd never heard of that book and it looks really, really interesting to me. However...

I can't get any of these until I finish my library pile at home. I can't get any of these until I finish my library pile at home. I can't...

[Bob]

I made a google spreadsheet if anyone is interested, like I am, in sorting titles by page count:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

[Peebee]

I’ve read 8 and have 10 checked out....it would be 9 and 9 because I’m in the middle of Jami Attenberg’s latest. But that’s still a lot left! Maybe I’ll catch up on Thanksgiving weekend....just like school days where that was the last chance before finals to catch up.

[Janet]

Bob wrote: "I made a google spreadsheet if anyone is interested, like I am, in sorting titles by page count: "

Hey Bob, does that mean you're not reading Ducks?

[Bretnie]

Thanks Amy for the list, Bob for the page count spreadsheet, and everyone else for their favorites on the list and favorites that didn't make it!

Trying to plan out what I want to read the rest of this year is a challenge - I want to read it all!

[Bob]

Janet wrote: "Hey Bob, does that mean you're not reading Ducks?"

I haven't convinced myself to do it...yet?

[Amanda]

Janet, from what I can tell Blood & Sugar has not been published in the US.

[Lark]

I haven't clicked on the link to the longlist yet but I love love LOVE that this group is so well-read that we can talk right away about what's missing.

Also: Yay GOLDEN STATE!

[Lark]

Optic Nerve!

We Cast a Shadow!

Say Say Say!

good list.

[Lark]

man, there is a -lot- of the newly-dubbed-as "weird fiction" on this list.

[Janet]

I was surprised that Ben Lerner's The Topeka School didn't make the list....not that I wanted it to....I was just surprised because it seemed like a TOB book to me.

[Janet]

Amanda wrote: "Janet, from what I can tell Blood & Sugar has not been published in the US."

Arghhh, I may have to postpone that one. If it starts getting a lot of praise, one of my libraries will order it for me. Or I may just buy a copy from the Book Depository.

[Ruthiella]

Bob wrote: "I made a google spreadsheet if anyone is interested, like I am, in sorting titles by page count:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/..."
Thank you Bob! This is invaluable. :D

[Lljones]

Bob wrote: "Janet wrote: "Hey Bob, does that mean you're not reading Ducks?"

I haven't convinced myself to do it...yet?"

Ducks... has been my 'next' book for about two months now. Things like new releases (Olive, Again), getting pulled unexpectedly into a re-read of The French Lieutenant's Woman, and now the impeachment hearings keep interrupting my plan.

I did read about 30 pages and now feel that reports I've read are accurate: the prose is captivating, pulls you in right away, and it won't feel like 1000 pages in the end. I'm excited to get back to it.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

It is a TRAVESTY Cantoras wasn't included. Wow.

I've already read eleven....

Bangkok Wakes to Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
In at the Deep End by Kate Davies
Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli
Normal People by Sally Rooney
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
Say Say Say by Lila Savage
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Trust Exercise by Susan Choi

And I already have copies of these....
Black Light:Stories by Kimberly King Parsons
Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Akner
Home Remedies by Xuan Juliana Wang
Lot by Bryan Washington
Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett
Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Optic Nerve by Maria Gainza

So I know where I will start (with some of the titles I already have!)

[Tim]

Bob wrote: "I made a google spreadsheet if anyone is interested, like I am, in sorting titles by page count:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/..."

Thanks!!

[C]

LONG LIST. YES.  I'm noticing a ton of glaring omissions, but again, the ToB is arbitrary.  They seem to be focusing more of first novels/short story collections.  I'm counting nine short story collections.  And there are eight books I've never seen or heard of before which is way more than usual for me!  I've only read two: Lost Children Archive & The Water Dancer.

I WANT to add  a really long list of books I haven't read that I think should have been on the long list, but I won't.

[Risa]

Amy wrote: "Longlist released ~7:20am PST 11/18/2019 (for when we're trying to guess 2020's release!)

All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg
[book:Bangkok Wakes to Rain|4030..."

The Tournament really begins for me when Bob Lopez creates, and shares with us, his Excel spreadsheet of Longlist books, sorted by book length. (That, Bob, is what passes for subtlety for me. ;-)) Thank you, in advance, for your heroics.

[Risa]

Drew wrote: "I’ve been MIA for quite a while. I spent most of the summer reading books about the countries I’d be traveling to in September, then I was traveling, then I was too sick to read for a week or so bu..."

Welcome Back, Drew! You are one of my ToB Kindred Spirits, so I am glad you'll be in the commentariat this year.

[Ruthiella]

C wrote: " I WANT to add a really long list of books I haven't read that I think should have been on the long list, but I won't."

Do please let us know your list if you are willing to type it all in! I love that kind of stuff.

Part of the fun of both the long and short list is thinking about what should have made it but didn't. I don't have any real opinion on what to ADD because I don't read enough contemporary fiction, but I would have not included The Testaments personally...which would free up space for a different title.

[Risa]

Lljones wrote: "Yeah, Olive, Again, too!"

Reading it now, and really enjoying it.

[Elizabeth]

Bob wrote: "I made a google spreadsheet if anyone is interested, like I am, in sorting titles by page count:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/..."

Thanks so much for doing this, Bob! Looks like there are only a handful of tomes, and a lot of short (even super-short) books. And thank goodness, because there are only a couple here that I don't have an interest in reading. Most of the new-to-me books look wonderful!

[Risa]

Bob wrote: "I made a google spreadsheet if anyone is interested, like I am, in sorting titles by page count:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/..."

My prayers answered! Bob, you are my ToB Hero.

[Risa]

Lljones wrote: "Bob wrote: "Janet wrote: "Hey Bob, does that mean you're not reading Ducks?"

I haven't convinced myself to do it...yet?"

Ducks... has been my 'next' book for about two months now. Things like new..."

I have been cowed (thus far) by the length of it. 1,000+ pages!?! Really?!? Well. I am nearly 100% certain it will be on the shortlist, so I may just have to, in the words of The Queen (via "The Crown"), "Get on with it!"

[Amy]

Any recs for audio?

[Elizabeth]

Bob wrote: "Janet wrote: "Hey Bob, does that mean you're not reading Ducks?"

I haven't convinced myself to do it...yet?"

Read the Kindle sample...You'll be able to tell reasonably soon if you're interested in investing time into it. I've been enjoying it piecemeal, but on the other hand having no trouble putting it down after a few pages. It bothers me to spend an hour reading an e-copy only to have advanced by 1% haha.

I really liked The Testaments, it felt completely new to me (not a Handmaid's Tale rehash like I'd feared.) But I love most of Atwood.

Oh, and I'm surprised and disappointed that The Dutch House isn't there.

[Doug]

I've followed, but never actually participated before, but this MIGHT be my year. I have read 13 so far, and have another 16 (mainly ARCs on my Kindle) that I haven't gotten to yet.

[Ruthiella]

Doug wrote: "I've followed, but never actually participated before, but this MIGHT be my year. I have read 13 so far, and have another 16 (mainly ARCs on my Kindle) that I haven't gotten to yet."
DO IT DOUG!

[Karen]

So happy for the early release of long list TOB titles. I've read 15 so far.
Fleishman Is In Trouble
Golden State
Inland
Lost Children Archive
The Most Fun We Ever Had
Nickel Boys
Normal People
The Old Drift
Olive, Again
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
The Other Americans
Red At the Bone
Trust Exercise
The Water Dancer
When All is Said

Books on my TBR pile (own or from my library).
All This Could Be Yours
Black Leopard, Red Wolf
Ducks, Newburyport
Mostly Dead Things
Nothing To See Here
Rules for Visiting
Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory

So many titles on this list that are new to me. Can't wait to check them out! This announcement might just pull me out of my reading slump. : )

[Jan]

Elizabeth wrote: "... I really liked The Testaments, it felt completely new to me (not a Handmaid's Tale rehash like I'd feared.) But I love most of Atwood.

Oh, and I'm surprised and disappointed that The Dutch House isn't there. ..."

Same same on both of these, Elizabeth. Also sad Cantoras isn't there, as Jenny mentioned.

[Amanda]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "It is a TRAVESTY Cantoras wasn't included. Wow.

I've already read eleven....

Bangkok Wakes to Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine ..."

I really enjoyed both Mostly Dead Things and Fleishman is in Trouble. Both are excellent in their own ways.

[Bob]

Ah, you're welcome, everyone!

Welp. I have a lot of reading to do yet. I've finished 10, my favorite being Girl, Woman, Other--that book knocked me out. By chance I started the new Kevin Wilson last night because he's a favorite of mine and I just realized he had a new book.

I just so happen to have some Amazon credit saved up so that's basically spent. Between that and my library holds, I guess the TBR pile literally on my desk will remain unchanged for a bit (minus the Ta-Nehisi Coates I bought).

Omission I regret, particularly in a year where there are so many story collections: Mouthful of Birds by TOB Champion Samanta Shweblin. Does previous victory preclude a subsequent entry?

[Heather]

Ellen wrote: "P.S. I've read 6, with three others on my list. As always, most of them I've never even heard of."

Our literary soulmates title that I bestowed on us continues, Ellen, as I too have read 6 off the list this year. That's a lot less than previous years for me, but I didn't really focus on the list that people came up with after this year's ToB as much as I have in the past.

[Ace]

Ruthiella wrote: "DO IT DOUG!."


Yes, DO IT DOUG!

[Elizabeth]

Bob wrote: "Omission I regret, particularly in a year where there are so many story collections: Mouthful of Birds by TOB Champion Samanta Shweblin. Does previous victory preclude a subsequent entry?"

Nope, Bone Clocks was on after Cloud Atlas, so yes this is another surprise. I'd had Mouthful of Birds on my TBR list for awhile (but since it's not on the list I don't think I'll go out of my way to read it.)

Amanda wrote: "I really enjoyed both Mostly Dead Things and Fleishman is in Trouble. Both are excellent in their own ways."

I liked Mostly Dead Things well enough, but didn't love it as much as I thought I would when I read the blurb. OTOH I didn't know if I'd like Fleishman and I LOVED it. It had everything that I look for in a book, really.

[Jan]

So I've read 25 and have 6 on my TBR table or in my audiobook queue.

I already mentioned liking Bangkok Wakes to Rain. I also loved Lost Children Archive, The Old Drift, Disappearing Earth, Girl Woman Other, Inland, The Other Americans, The Testaments and Trust Exercise.

I expect to see On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (liked it), The Water Dancer (mixed feelings), and Fleishman (ditto).

I'm most excited to have an added incentive to read All This Could Be Yours, Blood & Sugar, Let's Tell This Story Properly, Lot, Nothing to See Here, Optic Nerve, The Parisian, Very Nice, and Your House Will Pay.

I love how many books are on the list that have flown below my radar! And saddened by seeing Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi's new book, which reminds me that I've been trying to make time for Kintu since so any people championed it when it was on the long list (right?) a few years back. On the bright side, I did read Madeleine Thien's Do Not Say We Have Nothing, which a lot of folks recommended, this year. I loved it and have found it so timely in light of the Hong Kong protests. Does anyone have a method for balancing the love for new fiction & the TOB with wanting to read backlist stuff too?

[Bob]

Jan wrote: "Does anyone have a method for balancing the love for new fiction & the TOB with wanting to read backlist stuff too? "

I've taken to buying used as much as possible, then picking blindly...

[Alison]

Only 62 books! Is anyone else a wee bit disappointed?

And a lot of short story collections, that's interesting.

[Amy]

Shortlist Prediction Sheet is now live! Get your guesses in by mid-December's shortlist release for prizes from Andrew & co.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

[Amy]

Alison wrote: "Only 62 books! Is anyone else a wee bit disappointed?

And a lot of short story collections, that's interesting."

I'm SO relieved. last year was TOUGH.

[Lauren]

Melanie wrote: "Oh but the story collections I've read have been so so great!

Of the ones from summer TOB (Black Leopard, Trust Exercise, Lost Children Archive) I like LCA best, but am still willing to talk about..."

The authors of Lot and Sabrina & Corina were on the same panel at the Texas Book Festival last month and they are both awesome people. :)

[Bretnie]

Two books with pigs! If any of the other book descriptions mentions pigs, I have my play-in round category, ha!

Pigs by Johanna Stoberock
Tears of the Trufflepig by Fernando A. Flores

[Elizabeth]

Amy wrote: "Any recs for audio?"

I really liked The Testaments on audio. (I did a mix of audio and hardcover.) Great mix of narrators. The Water Dancer also has an amazing narrator, with an absolutely beautiful voice. He could read the periodic table and I'd still be entranced.

[Ellen]

Hi, Heather! Our six will only be TRULY amazing if they're the same six...!

DO IT, DOUG!!!

Thanks, Bob.

[Lauren]

This is a great list! While I'm also sad Cantoras isn't on here (likely my favorite book of the year) I'm ok with the fact that I won't have to see it torn apart. ;)

I've read seven already - the ones from Camp ToB (I wish they had included American Spy instead of Trust Exercise...) and also:
Lot (I met the author and he was wonderful. I'm really digging short story collections lately. This one wasn't easy to get through, but I think it's an important perspective.)
The Old Drift (This one was great - very ambitious! - but I think the audio version was difficult to follow at times. I recommend print/ebook for this one)
Red at the Bone (Just finished this a minute ago - wow! I liked what she did here. Great short novel.)
A Woman Is No Man (Very frustrating to read, but worthwhile. Not sure this will make the shortlist though.)

I have hard copies of these at home:
The Nickel Boys (Looking forward to it!)
Disappearing Earth (I have a feeling this will take me a while.)
Sabrina & Corina: Stories (Very excited about this one!)
Tears of the Trufflepig (Ok, this one too!)

So I have a few Libro credits and I want to use my library holds strategically... I need to know which of these books are great or terrible on audio. I might adjust library holds when the shortlist comes out but with all my other reading commitments (book clubs and things) I can only get through the short list by March if I do at least half of them on audio. I'm thinking to put holds on these for now, but someone please let me know if any of these are not great on audio:
When All Is Said
Testaments (I'm nervous about this one because I felt like the audio version of Handmaid's Tale did not work for me...)
Same Same
The Parisian
Patsy
Oval
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
Mostly Dead Things
The Most Fund We Ever Had

Thanks!

[Elizabeth]

Lauren wrote: "This is a great list! While I'm also sad Cantoras isn't on here (likely my favorite book of the year) I'm ok with the fact that I won't have to see it torn apart. ;)

I've read seven already - the..."

I wouldn’t read On Earth in audio, if you can help it. I started, but the language was so beautiful I knew I was missing a lot, and almost immediately switched to hard copy.

[Lauren]

Elizabeth wrote: "Lauren wrote: "This is a great list! While I'm also sad Cantoras isn't on here (likely my favorite book of the year) I'm ok with the fact that I won't have to see it torn apart. ;)

I've read seve..."

Good to know, and I see your comments on the other titles above. Thanks for the suggestions!

[Amy]

I believe this is officially my least number of longlist books read in advance since I started following the tourney. (sigh)