Tournament of Books discussion
2020 TOB General Topics
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2020 TOB Shortlist
Ruthiella wrote: "C wrote: "I finished Overthrow! Maybe I'm just good at finishing books other people bail on? haha. Though it's probably my least favorite of the... five? ToB books I've read so far. I'd say it's so..."Now that you're repeating it back, it seems a bit harsh? But I have higher standards for books included in the ToB.
C wrote: "Ruthiella wrote: "C wrote: "I finished Overthrow! Maybe I'm just good at finishing books other people bail on? haha. Though it's probably my least favorite of the... five? ToB books I've read so fa..."No, I don't think it was harsh at all. It was funny and accurate. As I recall the last bit explains just what the legal issue was and why but at that point I'm with you. I just didn't care any more.
Ruthiella wrote: "C wrote: "Ruthiella wrote: "C wrote: "I finished Overthrow! Maybe I'm just good at finishing books other people bail on? haha. Though it's probably my least favorite of the... five? ToB books I've ..."I agree - it's a fair review.
Anyone else notice that the overall group seemingly finishes books around the same time? I've noticed that there will be a flourish of activity and comments and then basically radio silence for a few days while everyone runs back to their reading caves. It's like when you're at the grocery store and for some reason everyone walks up to the check out at the same time.
Are we still talking about American Dirt? Well, here's McSweeney's take: "As a 28-year old Latino, I'm shocked my new novel, 'Memoirs of a Middle-Aged White Lady' has been so poorly received"
https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/a...
Jason wrote: "Are we still talking about American Dirt? Well, here's McSweeney's take: "As a 28-year old Latino, I'm shocked my new novel, 'Memoirs of a Middle-Aged White Lady' has been so poorly received"
ht..."
this was freaking funny. "Chab" :)
Dustin wrote: "Anyone else notice that the overall group seemingly finishes books around the same time? I've noticed that there will be a flourish of activity and comments and then basically radio silence for a f..."I like the image of everyone running back to their reading caves! I do like sometimes to think when it is quiet here that everyone is sitting at home (or at a soccer game or whatever) diligently reading. :D
Jason wrote: "Are we still talking about American Dirt? Well, here's McSweeney's take: "As a 28-year old Latino, I'm shocked my new novel, 'Memoirs of a Middle-Aged White Lady' has been so poorly received"
ht..."
Thank you for this, Jason! Hilarious!
running off to my reading cave (make that reading couch) now :-)your house will pay is waiting for me
Dustin wrote: "Anyone else notice that the overall group seemingly finishes books around the same time? I've noticed that there will be a flourish of activity and comments and then basically radio silence for a f..."Spring break hits here usually a couple days before the start of TOB. We drive from Texas to Florida to visit my family. I am always trying to get those last few books read and my husband drives while I read. It's a bit like a mobile reading cave with truck stops and drive through fast food added to the mix.
I just finished Mary Toft and Your House Will Pay and liked both quite a bit. Both should make for some interesting commentary!
If I could delicately hack (ahem) Overthrow, for anyone who just wants to skim or even was planning on skipping it (though I hate to do it, I'm no authority and don't want to squash Mr. Crain's work). I'd say the last chapter is the only part of the book you need to read and basically these are the details you need to know to understand it:(view spoiler)This plot generalization makes much of the rest of the book seem that much longer for no reason... The last chapter I think said some interesting things.. (Sorry sorry Mr. Crain.)
C wrote: "If I could delicately hack (ahem) Overthrow, for anyone who just wants to skim or even was planning on skipping it (though I hate to do it, I'm no authority and don't want to squash Mr. Crain's wor..."I will totally take the hack and run with it! (my library copy is about to run out again and I wasn't likely to re-hold it) Thanks C.
Amy wrote: "C wrote: "If I could delicately hack (ahem) Overthrow, for anyone who just wants to skim or even was planning on skipping it (though I hate to do it, I'm no authority and don't want to squash Mr. C..."Yep, sure thing, Amy. I only recommend my hack if anyone was already planning on skipping it, therefore I'm not wrecking much by my generalization of the book.
Good summary, C. I could have used all of that precious reading time for another book if I’d seen this before. Oh well, it’s not too late to save others! ;)
Lauren wrote: "Good summary, C. I could have used all of that precious reading time for another book if I’d seen this before. Oh well, it’s not too late to save others! ;)"haha, yeah Lauren. :D And if anyone who has read Overthrow wants me to edit and add anything pertinent to my summary I might have missed, let me know.
Guys, this is a banner year for books and there are already about 500 books for 2020 that sound amazing to me... very little of them from established writers. It will be impossible for me to guess the books next ToB!!! (also, I'm not hyperventilating in the slightest... there are so many it's overwhelming but awesome for publishing!)
I'm getting closer to being my own version of a completist (completing all the books I want to read). Finished On Earth We are Briefly Gorgeous and didn't like it as much as I'd hoped.
Finished Saudade and enjoyed it, although it's so short I doubt I'll remember it before long.
I'm getting close to finishing The Water Dancer and really enjoying it. The audiobook is wonderful.
Optic Nerve and All This Could be Yours to go! (not planning on reading Testaments, Fleishman, and Oval)
Bretnie wrote: "(not planning on reading Testaments, Fleishman, and Oval)"I think you should reconsider Fleishman. (I'm with you on Testaments and Oval.) I think the recent TOB books that are probably (in my unqualified opinion) best predictors for liking Fleishman are Trust Exercise and Nothing to See Here. FWIW.
Tim wrote: "Bretnie wrote: "(not planning on reading Testaments, Fleishman, and Oval)"I think you should reconsider Fleishman. (I'm with you on Testaments and Oval.) I think the recent TOB books that are pro..."
Good to know Tim, thanks! Of the three left I wasn't going to read, that was the one I was going to squeeze in if I have time.
I’ll second Tim - I think Fleishman is pretty amazing (loved Nothing to See Here, still can’t decide on Trust Exercise)
As I'm getting through more of the shortlist, I'm realizing how much I've enjoyed most of the books. Probably others have different feelings about it, but I feel like it's been a strong list. Some really interesting books with unique themes and storytelling.
Bretnie wrote: "As I'm getting through more of the shortlist, I'm realizing how much I've enjoyed most of the books. Probably others have different feelings about it, but I feel like it's been a strong list. Some ..."I agree! I've had such a rewarding time reading these books - several of which I would not have read had they not been included in the ToB.
Bretnie wrote: "As I'm getting through more of the shortlist, I'm realizing how much I've enjoyed most of the books. Probably others have different feelings about it, but I feel like it's been a strong list. Some ..."I also agree that the list is strong! My surprise favorites have been Your House Must Pay and Girl, Woman, Other.
Optic Nerve and Nothing to See Here pleasantly surprised (and I’m in the midst of Your House Will Pay now). I’ve enjoyed everything so far though my mileage varied but no “hate-reads!” (Perhaps thanks to skipping Overthrow?)
I've been relatively happy with the shortlist (although I think there were many gems from the longlist that should have replaced some of these). I'm currently reading The Testaments and then just have Normal People (low expectations) and Fleishman left. So far GWO was my only five-star read, but I gave four stars to Your House Will Pay, On Earth..., Lost Children Archive, The Water Dancer, We Cast a Shadow, and Golden State, so I guess that's a decent outcome for the shortlist. Any suggestions on sharing our brackets on here? I just drew in abbreviations by editing the pdf (I don't have fancy software to actually type things in...). How should I make it shareable since we can't add attachments in this platform?
I started listening to Girl, Woman, Other on audio, with some hesitations, but so far I'm really enjoying it. I hope the rest is as good as the beginning has been.
I have also enjoyed every book of the shortlist so far. Oval, of which I have only read about a third, is the weakest of the list for me.
Yup, I'm really happy with this list. I was disappointed that Disappearing Earth didn't make it, but I liked Golden State, Mary Toft, Nothing to See Here, and Your House Will Pay a LOT. I'd be happy to see any of them win. I've got 2 1/2 books left to go, which means I'll probably be finished 3 weeks before the Tournament even starts!!
I was starting to list my favorites, then realized I'd be listing more than half the books. The first round is going to be TOUGH for me! They put all my favorites up against each other (and my least favorites also against each other.) The only matchup in that round with a clear winner (I think) will be Optic Nerve over The Water Dancer. But yeah, some of these matchups will be painful!
Elizabeth wrote: "I was starting to list my favorites, then realized I'd be listing more than half the books. The first round is going to be TOUGH for me! They put all my favorites up against each other (and my leas..."Yes Elizabeth I am in a similar situation, I like both Lost Children Archive and Mary Toft, I like both On Earth, and Your House will Pay. And to top it all off I like Golden State and We Cast a Shadow. So I am in for some pain after the first round, but on the plus side I think it has been a strong list this year. :-)
This is really only my second year here. Are the books chosen randomly against each other or are they seeded?
I really liked Nothing to See Here and currently am entranced with Mary Toft. Love it so far. I was a little more lukewarm on Water Dancer, though. I'm gonna try to get GWO, Your House Will Pay, and We Cast a Shadow read before the tourney starts... whether or not that's doable is debatable.
Collin wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "I was starting to list my favorites, then realized I'd be listing more than half the books. The first round is going to be TOUGH for me! They put all my favorites up against each ..."In my bracket I have LCA winning the first round, but based on comments here in December, I think Mary Toft will come back as a zombie...
Collin wrote: "This is really only my second year here. Are the books chosen randomly against each other or are they seeded?..."Seeds (1-4) are shown in teeny font on the brackets. All opening rounds are either Seed 1 v. Seed 4 or Seed 2 v. Seed 3 except Play-in which is are all Seed 3's. Now the formula for assigning seeds is a little mysterious though (buzz, publishing house/advert $, established authors etc. go into it)
2020 SWAG is out and it is PRETTY (love the solo feather!). Bob, go get your shortlist prize! :) https://teespring.com/stores/tmn
reminder that these are 50% off if you are a sustaining TOB member! (via a special link, not a code)
Amy wrote: "2020 SWAG is out and it is PRETTY (love the solo feather!). Bob, go get your shortlist prize! :)"Done!
Amy wrote: "2020 SWAG is out and it is PRETTY (love the solo feather!). Bob, go get your shortlist prize! :) https://teespring.com/stores/tmn
reminder that these are 50% off if you are a sustaining TOB membe..."
Rooster Rumble! I've been grinning over the feathers, perfect!
Amy wrote: "Collin wrote: "This is really only my second year here. Are the books chosen randomly against each other or are they seeded?..."Seeds (1-4) are shown in teeny font on the brackets. All opening ro..."
Thanks Amy. :-)
Rooster Rumble is pretty good. I still have a soft spot for the suggested Cockadoodle Duel. I wish the all books for the Rumble were listed on the back of the t-shirt, the way concert dates were on concert tees (at least they were back in my day).
Ruthiella wrote: "Rooster Rumble is pretty good. I still have a soft spot for the suggested Cockadoodle Duel. I wish the all books for the Rumble were listed on the back of the t-shirt, the way concert dates were ..."
omg that would be so great! (and I'm smacking my head thinking 'why didn't I think of that!?')
Amy wrote: "2020 SWAG is out and it is PRETTY (love the solo feather!)...."I'm partial to the one with multiple feathers.
I did it - I finished the shortlist today! I wasn't sure if all of my library holds would come in on time, but it worked out. I think this would be my ranking of all the books. I wish the bottom 4-5 spots had gone to better books from the longlist, but oh well. Looking forward to the discussions in a few weeks!Girl, Woman, Other*****
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous****
Your House Will Pay****
Lost Children Archive****
The Water Dancer****
We Cast a Shadow****
Saudade****
Golden State***
Nothing to See Here***
The Testaments***
Optic Nerve***
Mary Toft***
All This Could be Yours***
Trust Exercise***
Oval***
Fleishman is in Trouble***
Normal People**
Overthrow**
Lauren wrote: "I did it - I finished the shortlist today! I wasn't sure if all of my library holds would come in on time, but it worked out. I think this would be my ranking of all the books. I wish the bottom 4-..."Awesome, Lauren! Congratulations!!
Nice job, Lauren! Of those I've read, they mostly fall among your higher rankings. I wasn't thrilled with Normal People either.
I still have to remind myself that Disappearing Earth didn't make the shortlist, and I'm still salty about it. Hmph.And congrats Lauren! No way I'll be a completist this year so I'm a bit envious.
I also finished my reading of the shortlist today after finishing Nothing to See Here an hour ago. Though I'm not a full completionist like Lauren because I DNF'ed Oval and Overthrow each about 75 pages in. My rankings at the moment (though I'm likely to change my mind if I ranked them again tomorrow):Lost Children Archive
Girl, Woman, Other
Optic Nerve
We Cast a Shadow
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
Nothing to See Here
Your House Will Pay
Fleishman Is in Trouble
All This Could Be Yours
Normal People
Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen
Saudade
The Water Dancer
Golden State
The Testaments
Trust Exercise
Oval
Overthrow
Karissa wrote: "I also finished my reading of the shortlist today after finishing Nothing to See Here an hour ago. Though I'm not a full completionist like Lauren because I DNF'ed Oval and Overthrow each about 75 ..."You didn't miss much by DNF'ing Oval and Overthrow. ;)
Peggy wrote: "I still have to remind myself that Disappearing Earth didn't make the shortlist, and I'm still salty about it. Hmph.And congrats Lauren! No way I'll be a completist this year so I'm a bit envious."
Thanks! It helped that I listened to the audiobook version of many of these. I wouldn't have finished all of them in time otherwise. ;)
Tournament of Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Bonfire of the Vanities (other topics)The Magicians (other topics)
The Imposteress Rabbit Breeder: Mary Toft and Eighteenth-Century England (other topics)
Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen (other topics)
All This Could Be Yours (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jami Attenberg (other topics)Jami Attenberg (other topics)
Bernardine Evaristo (other topics)
Valeria Luiselli (other topics)
Dexter Palmer (other topics)
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I loved this sentence in your review:
"The last chapter is a bit like showing how a magic trick works, when the audience is already asleep."